In Deep
by Liestra
Summary: Stranded together, Finn and Piper find they have to rely on each other. What else will they find?
1. Chapter 1

Hello again! Yes, I return with my third story. As usual, it's complete, and of course one chapter at a time (11 in all). Will do my best to update quickly all things considered.

But first...Don't own Storm Hawks, Nerdcord does and they do a mighty fine job of it.

Ok - this one explores the 'What If' of Finn and Piper being stranded together and how that affects their relationship. Disclaimer - I am NOT a hardcore FinnXPiper fan. Frankly, I'm not a ?x? anybody. Doesn't matter to me who shares their affections with who, so don't go all postal if this isn't the preferred ship. I like to explore all possibilities and this particular story just happened to land on this pairing.

Small head's up, this one's a bit more wordy than my last one, more emotions and thought processes to explore, but it does have it's share of action and adventure.

And so saying, sit back, keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times, and hang on...

Chapter 1 – When the Going Gets Tough…

Piper yelped as she felt the needle sharp barbs pierce the back of her right thigh. She managed to take two steps before the leg gave way, sending her tumbling to the ground. She immediately tucked into a roll and came to a stop on her knees, her energy staff held out defensively.

The three claw-beasts hesitated, wanting to jump at the easy prey but held in check by the proximity of the thornstrike bushes. She watched as the largest of the trio tensed, preparing to pounce. A blue streak of light flashed over her left shoulder and struck the creature squarely in the chest, knocking it back to lie unconscious. The remaining pair of claw-beasts snarled and leapt out, but they misjudged the timing and were struck by an entire barrage of darts from the nearest thornstrike bushes. Yelping and screaming, the two creatures high tailed it back up the twisting ravine.

Piper closed her eyes and gave a small prayer of thanks. Then she turned and regarded the young male behind her. Finn still stood with his crossbow at the ready, willing to fire it again at anything else that might attack them. Slowly he lowered the weapon and looked down at the dusky skinned girl.

"You ok? Did you get hit? He asked, his azure blue eyes filled with concern, his normally good natured expression drawn into a frown.

She shook her head and made to rise, grimacing as seemingly millions of red hot points bit into her leg. Finn instantly was at her side, offering his hand. She grabbed hold and using her staff for support, managed to get to her feet. She twisted around and took a look at how bad the damage was. From just above the back of her knee and extending upward was a long row of thin spines. All though most of them were in her leg, there were a few that stuck out from her buttock.

Finn bent and examined the wounded thigh. "Ouch! Must be about thirty, maybe forty of the little suckers." he exclaimed with shared feeling. He gently took hold of one of the barbs and gave a small tug. Piper winced but made no sound. He pressed his lips together and pulled a little harder. This time Piper gasped and tried to pull away. Finn quickly let go. Piper sighed and reached back to try to pull one out herself, with no better luck. The six inch barbs, embedded in anywhere from an inch to three inches into her flesh, were stuck deep.

The two teammates shared a look of worry mixed with gloom. Their day was rapidly going from bad to worse. Abruptly their attention was grabbed by the rustle of something moving. It was the remaining claw-beast, beginning to stir from being knocked out by the force of Finn's well-aimed cross bolt.

"Time to move, think you can walk?" Finn said over his shoulder, his eyes never leaving the groggy movements of the large beast.

"Yes." Piper affirmed and began to limp rapidly down the ravine. Finn trailed behind her, his crossbow raised and his trigger finger ready to let the creature have a taste of another shot. The claw-beast staggered to its feet, gave its head a shake and then turned back, away from them. Finn heaved a sigh of relief as he watched the five foot tall monster with its six limbs sprouting dozens of razor sharp claws depart.

Turning around he beheld the small, light figure ahead of him, struggling to walk. Quickly he came up beside her and offered his arm. "Here, Piper, lean on me."

Piper stopped, her face sweating from both the exertion and the pain. She shook her head. "No, Finn, You need to be ready at a moment's notice. There's no telling what will jump out at us next." She smiled at him reassuringly, touched by his gallantry. "I'll be fine, just won't be doing any Sky-fu moves in the near future."

The slim blonde regarded his teammate for a moment, frowning. "Ok, but if you need any help, don't be too stubborn to ask."

They continued on their way for quite some time, moving slow, not just because of Piper's injury, but also taking great care to inspect their surroundings. It was not wise to walk the wastelands, but it was down-right stupid to amble as if for an afternoon stroll. So far they had been lucky, even with Piper's very painful injury. The surface of Atmos held many dangers and being eaten was just one of them.

Piper was becoming exhausted and it was all she could do to balance on her good leg as she swung the staff out in front of her and hop forward, over and over again. The pain in her leg had reached fire hot intensity. Every so often she would wipe her brow with a sleeve. Looking up through sweat burning eyes, she could see Finn about two steps ahead of her, his head and crossbow moving from one side to the other, constantly searching the terrain for the slightest hint of a threat.

Finn came to a stop and peered through the miasma surrounding them. He could just barely make out the dark shape of the base of a large terra in front of them. As Piper caught up with him, he turned to her "Look, that might be one. It's certainly big enough."

Piper nodded as she breathed heavily. She peered up but couldn't tell if the mass of earth rose high enough above the low clouds to be an actual terra, or was just one of the many spires that thrust up from the surface.

"What do you think, worth a try? At least we can find shelter, climb up far enough to be safe." Finn continued. "And we need to find a place for you to rest; you're just about at the end of your rope."

She frowned at him but didn't argue, too tired and hurt to really disagree.

The two approached the rocky base, keeping a close eye out for any inhabitants that might be making the rocks their hiding places. They began to walk around, searching for a way up. It was Piper, who had taken a moments rest, that spotted the almost stair step rise. She grabbed Finn's arm and wordlessly pointed. He looked in the direction and nodded. They made their way to the rocky steps and began to ascend. It wasn't long before they both began to feel a sense of security as they rose higher and higher away from the dangerous floor of the wastelands. Although they were not out of peril yet, at least they would not be attacked from all sides at once. Even the air began to clear somewhat as they climbed, the noxious fumes thinning. Eventually Finn's sharp eyes spotted a small depression in the side of the cliff wall. Motioning for Piper to wait, he carefully advanced on the tiny cave. Quickly he ascertained that the den was empty, the floor showing no signs of being occupied. He continued to advance for a bit farther on, making sure there was no danger lurking up ahead. Satisfied that they were relatively safe, he turned and made his way back to Piper.

The dark skinned girl looked up from where she was leaning against the hard wall and saw the slim youth bounce down the rocks, a grin on his face.

"Looks like we just found a place to stay. All the comforts of home, too. Rock wall, rock ceiling, rock floor and just look at the view!" He exclaimed, his arm flung out in an arc.

As tired as Piper was, she couldn't help smiling in return. It seemed as if nothing ever got the blond marksman down. This time she accepted his support and leaned against him as he helped her settle into the shelter. She turned her body so much of the weight was on her left leg and leant back against the wall. She watched out of half closed eyes as Finn positioned himself so he could grab and aim his crossbow with ease, in case anything threatening showed up. As the two sat together, they began to relax for the first time since they had ended up lost, stranded in the wastelands.

Piper closed her heavy eyelids and as she slowly drifted off to sleep, she recalled how they had gotten into this situation....


	2. Chapter 2

Okay - the two of them have taken refuge, but how did it happen...

Chapter 2 – Retrospective

The Storm Hawks had rode through the sky, leaving the small terra behind them. The three male members of the squadron were grinning with merriment, satisfied with a once more successful mission. The lone female however, was not smiling. Her face was set in a definite scowl as she regarded the others and one in particular. She rode in silence, fuming, until she just couldn't hold it in any more.

"Finn, I can't believe you didn't do what you were supposed to do! Do you have any idea how things could have gone wrong? We were very lucky back there and I hope you realize that."

Aerrow, the red headed leader of the group, turned and regarded the angry young female. "Easy Piper, everything came out ok, we got in, got out and got away clean."

"That's right, Piper." Chimed in the object of her dissatisfaction, his face split with cocky grin. "Besides, if I had followed your 'plan' step by step, I'd still be back there. Jeez, Piper, do you have to make them so complicated?"

She scowled at the blond. "Finn, you wouldn't know a good plan if it bit you. You haven't a clue what it takes to make up a preparation taking into account all the variables, factoring in the unpredictable, making sure all the information you've received is accurate…"

Rolling his eyes, Finn interrupted her before she could really get into a rant. "Helloooo, Piper. They're called unpredictable for a reason, because you can't predict them."

"Finn, you can be such an idiot."

Aerrow, his co-pilot Radarr and the last member of the team, Junko the Wallop, all exchanged looks of resigned mirth. They were well aware that the other two would snap and snarl at each other the whole way back to the Condor, each one determined to win the war of personality clash.

Neither Piper nor Finn noticed as their friends began to pull ahead, as they were more interested in arguing than making speed. Back and forth they traded insults and criticisms, each one trying to outdo the other.

Just as Finn opened his mouth to shoot out a perfectly worded, beautifully timed, oh-so-to-the-point repartee he was shoved forward over his handlebars by the force of something hitting his skimmer. Turning to look behind him, he spied a squadron of approaching Talons. As he leaned forward to hit the radio switch and alert his teammates that they were under attack, he was knocked off by another blast. His high-pitched scream followed him as he fell through the sky.

Piper immediately put her heliscooter into a sharp dive, striving to catch up with the rapidly falling teen. Deeper and deeper she dove until she managed to aim the nose of her skyride under his body.

Finn let out a "Whooofff" as he landed on the nose of Piper's heliscooter. For a moment he could only cling to the metal as he tried to get his breath back. Turning to his savior, he managed a shaky grin. "At least – huff – I landed – whoosh- on my – gasp – stomach – cough – this time."

Piper gave him a grin in return, but her attention was on navigating around and through the veritable forest of rocky spines that surrounded them. They had descended deep and were too close to the dreaded wastelands. One thing in their favor, they had dropped so fast that they had left the attacking Cyclonians behind, and were now shielded by the thick clouds above. Piper gave her ride a little more power and began to ascend. Looking down at the slim figure clinging to the front bumper, she began to say to him that they should try calling again, alert their friends that they had been attacked and were now caught under the cloud layer. She only managed to get out a couple of words when those clouds were split by the return of the Talon squadron. She barely had time to turn around and duck behind a spire of rock, a volley of energy blasts streaming past them.

Holding on tight Finn closed his eyes as Piper weaved and bobbed, running a crazy slalom course through the rocks. The Talon's Switchblade's were faster than her, but she was able to turn on a dime. More than once she managed to just avoid being struck by one of the red bolts of energy.

Piper dove further down, having no choice but to seek safety in the least expected place. Looking up and back, she could see the Talon's beginning to hover, their less maneuverable sky rides incapable of fitting into the smaller spaces between the rocky spires. She started to smile as she watched them suddenly streak straight up into the sky, thinking they had given up, only to gape in horror as they reversed direction and plummeted straight at her, releasing round after round of blasts. Trying to spin on her axis and dive, the spires were so thick that there was nowhere to move to. She winced as rock began to explode around her, shards and splinters streaking by. Piper screamed and could hear Finn yelling in fear as well. Then it was her turn to hold on tightly as the heliscooter began to whirl and sway, black smoke belching from its motor. Not sure if the machine had been struck by a blast of energy or rock, she wrestled with the controls. She was vaguely aware of the laughs of the Talons as they sped away, convinced that they had damaged their enemy and sent them on a one-way trip to disaster.

She could only grit her teeth as the sides of the spires loomed nearer. Then she was being tossed from side to side as she, Finn and the heliscooter bounced from one spire to the next, back and forth until they landing together in a smoking heap: arms, legs and rotor blades at all angles. Except for an occasional pop or crackle from the damaged engine, the tangled bundle was quiet.

Finally a groan sounded from the wreckage, and one of the figures squirmed its way upright. Finn blinked his eyes and gave his head a shake. Instantly regretting the motion as his head seemed to explode, he winced. He stood still for a moment, taking a physical inventory of himself. Satisfied that all parts were accounted for, even if they may not be working at one hundred percent, he knelt beside the still figure that was splayed over and around the remains of her skyride.

"Piper? Piper, wake up. Piper? Piper!?" Finn gently started to shake the girl, his face creased with worry. He gave a small sigh of relief when she moaned a little, but she still didn't respond. Standing back up he made a futile move, trying to gather her arms and legs in way that would allow him to pick her up without causing any more injury. _At least there doesn't seem to be any blood_, he thought to himself. _Maybe she's just been knocked out. Storms know, I sure was._

Placing one hand under her waist, Finn was trying to insert the other one as gently as possible under her shoulders when he looked into her face. Piper's tawny eyes were regarding him with a look of annoyance.

"Finn, what are you doing?" she inquired, her eyebrows raised.

"Helping you, what did you think?" he retorted, swiftly letting go of her.

Piper braced herself and managed to untangle herself from the lightly smoking wreck. Standing up she regarded the bent and misshapen metal.

"Don't think we're gonna get back on that thing." Remarked Finn, echoing her thoughts. She bent forward and flipped the comm switch, but not even static was heard.

"Great. Now we're stuck here. And the guys don't even know where we're at." Grumbled Finn. "What do we do now?"

"We wait." Piper answered him, confidently. "They'll notice we're missing and come looking. Aerrow and the others will do whatever it takes to find us, you know that." As she spoke she rooted around in the wreckage, finally finding the underseat compartment. She swiftly pulled out several rolled up scrolls, a length of rope, a compass, a small bag of cookies - slightly crumbled, and a bottle of water. She startled as a chicken leapt out, to fly away squawking indignantly. She turned to see Finn giving her an incredulous look.

"What else ya got in there? Another skimmer would be good." He said mockingly.

"Laugh all you want, it never hurts to be prepared. Besides, we have no idea how long we're going to be here and it's not as if there's going to be a nearby food station." She continued to search until she finally pulled out a carryall bag, stuffed it with the contents and strung it over her shoulder.

Finn nodded and walked over to sit on a convenient rock. "Yeah, I know. This IS the wasteland. Not exactly prime vacation spot on Atmos." He reached behind his back and released his crossbow from its locks. Cradling it in his arms, finger on the trigger, he looked from side to side. "Winds only know what could be out there, waiting to pounce."

She picked up her energy staff, checked it for any damage and walked over to sit beside him and scanned the area as well. All though their visibility was fairly clear, small tendrils of smoke, vapors and unknown gases swirled around and about them. Each of them stiffened as they began to hear noises, unfamiliar and threatening. Piper gripped her energy staff tight as she peered in all directions, even looking straight up at one point. Even though they could hear what sounded like movement, coupled with vocal cries, neither could see anything but rock and gloomy atmosphere that made up this area of the wastelands. At least they hadn't been in any volcanic section. They would have been toast – literally. Still, just because there weren't any lava monsters didn't mean there weren't other dangerous creatures lurking about.

Finn was rapidly working himself into a state of panic. His eyes darted from spot to spot, his shaking hands pointing his crossbow this way and that. He was beginning to pant. At the soft touch on his shoulder, he yelped and leaped about two feet into the air. Whirling, he regarded the amused face of his partner.

"Easy, Finn, easy. That was just me." Piper laughed. "Calm down, nothing's going to leap out at us. Jeez, big scaredy-cat."

Finn scowled and sat back down. "I'm not scared, just taking precautions. One shouldn't let one's guard down in the wasteland, you know."

"You are too, scared." She taunted.

"Am not." He countered. Getting up to show her just how un-scared he was, he walked a few paces away and turned to her. Striking a heroic pose, he called out."If I was scared would I be standing out here making a target of myself? Hmmmm? Yeah, didn't think so."

Piper shook her head. She was just on the verge of telling him that he looked silly, standing there with his slim chest all puffed out when her eye caught a blur of movement.

"Finn!!!" she screamed as a large something leaped at the youth. She leaped forward and aimed her energy staff at the creature and blasted it with a bolt of reddish-orange. Finn had leapt forward too, but away and down from the danger. In a smooth move he rolled once and came up standing, his crossbow aimed.

Both of them stared at the beast that lay before them. Dark as night, it was covered in scaly fur. They counted six limbs, each one ending in a mass of sharp, knifelike claws. Its head was blunt, the snout filled with tiny white fangs.

Piper moved a little closer, trying to get a better look at the unfamiliar creature. She'd never heard of such an animal. She held her staff in front of her, the tip of her strongest crystal aimed directly at the thing's head. She was stopped by a hand gripping her arm.

"Uhh, Piper, I don't think this is a very good place to hang out." Finn whispered, as he gazed beyond her. Following the direction of his eyes, she noted the three large dark shapes that crouched among the rocks. The beasts were far enough away to not be an immediate threat, but she could tell they were beginning to prowl closer.

"I believe you're right, perhaps we need to find a safer place." Piper agreed. She and Finn began to back away, moving to the right. Keeping the beasts in sight – Finn named them clawbeasts – they searched for a place that might offer sanctuary. The two meandered around the base of the many spires until the blond spotted an opening into clearer ground.

"Come on, this closeness gives me the creeps. I need room to maneuver and space to shoot." So saying Finn moved toward the open area. Piper followed readily as she had been just as unnerved by the close confines.

They stepped out into the wider field and could make out a long canyon running off into the distance, twisting and turning until the haze hid it from view. Finn looked questioningly at the dark skinned girl beside him.

"What do you think, try our luck down there?"

Piper stood and tried to weigh the options. Living on Atmos, one was always prepared for that inopportune moment when a person found themselves in the wasteland. However the prevailing wisdom was to get out of it as fast as possible. And out meant up, the exact opposite of where they would be heading. On the other hand, all though they should stay in one spot so they could be found by their friends, it was also dangerous to stay in one spot for long. Too many things lurked about whose intentions were not in your best regards.

Shrugging, she indicated that they should move out and the two made their way to the long slope leading down into the narrow valley. From time to time they looked back, making sure they weren't being stalked from behind. Both of them moved as silently as they could, taking careful steps and talking in low whispers. As they descended into the canyon the route began to twist and turn. They had just rounded a sharp curve when they heard a coughing roar from behind them. Turning as one they each gasped as the three clawbeasts they thought they had left behind were running down the slope. As the creatures closed in on their prey, they moved into a single line, one behind the other.

Realizing he wouldn't be able to take them out fast enough with his crossbow, Finn grabbed Piper's arm and yanked. "Run!!!"

They raced over the uneven ground, striving to put distance between themselves and their attackers, searching wildly for a place, any place that they could hide in or make a stand. Charging over a small rise they began to leap down the other side. Both of them slid rapidly to a stop. There in front of them was a small gathering of dark red spiky bushes. Each one recognized them as Thornstrike bushes, which shot hundreds, thousands of barbed needles if disturbed.

Thinking quickly, Finn shot a barrage of crossbow bolts into the bushes, setting them off. Piper ducked instinctively, even though she knew they were out of range.

"Hurry!" Yelled Finn as he began to run forward. "It won't take them long to recharge."

Piper hesitated for a second and then leapt after him, trusting that he had managed to get all of the plants to release their darts. She was almost through them when she felt the stinging pain hit her.


	3. Chapter 3

So now we know how they ended up stranded, but there's more to come... Yeah I know, keeping it kind of vague, but where'd be the fun in letting you know what's going to happen?

BTW - I try to give good ol' Stalker Hen (god I love that name!) a cameo in my stories, she's got to have her moment!

Chapter 3 – A Friend in need…

And now they were here, huddled into a small cave in the side that they hoped was the base of a large terra. With a little, ok, a lot of luck they'd be able to climb up to the top and reach safety. If they were even luckier, they would be found long before that and rescued from this accursed place.

Finn jerked his head up as he felt his chin contact his chest. He looked beside him at the slumbering figure of his partner. Giving a sigh and changing position for the fifth time in the last half hour, he struggled to stay awake. He was exhausted, not only physically from the strains resulting from the crash landing and resulting hike (and mad dash) through the wasteland, but his mind was numb from the constant rush of adrenaline as he reacted to every rustle and shift of rock. He peered out of the cave's entrance, convinced that something, anything was about to attack them. Then as silence surrounded him, he would relax, his tired, burning eyes drooping shut.

_Come on, Finn ol' buddy, get it together, got to keep awake. Piper'd never forgive me if she woke up in the belly of some creature. I can just hear her now "Finn, how could you let this happen, if you'd just listened to me, we never would have been devoured. Now we're going to be digested and it's your entire fault'." _He grinned and shifted again, putting his shoulder against the wall to prop himself up. He glanced behind him again. As he regarded the slight figure, curled on her side, his smile faded. He reached his hand out and laid it gently on her forehead. His eyebrows knitted with concern as he felt her rising temperature.

He whirled back around as he heard yet another suspicious noise. Acting instinctively (some could call it recklessly) he gripped his crossbow and with a yell, hurled himself out of the cavern entrance. He spun in a circle as he checked all directions. Nothing.

Finn sighed and let his shoulders sag. Stormclouds, he was tired. He stooped down and re-entered their tiny enclave. To find Piper awake and staring at him. For a moment she gazed at him in confusion, then as she moved she felt the sharp twinge from the needle points and gasped both in pain and realization.

"Owwww." She softly moaned. "Dang, these hurt." Once more she grabbed at one of the spines and tugged. Gritting her teeth and tightly shutting her eyes, she pulled hard. For a long moment nothing happened and then she felt a tearing as the barb finally let loose. She yelped. Bringing the dart around she could see where the barbs had spread open as she had pulled it out. Dropping it she felt for the wound and could feel stickiness. She pressed her finger against her flesh in an attempt to staunch the bleeding. Then she grabbed at another dart.

"Here, let me. I can see them better. Besides, this way you can be mad at me, for making you hurt."

Piper opened her eyes to see Finn leaning towards her, his face full of concern. She hesitated for a moment and then stretched out so her leg was behind her. Finn grabbed the leg just below the knee with one hand and firmly grasped the lowest barb with the fingers of his other. "OK, hold still. I'll make it quick."

She didn't have time to brace herself as she felt the barb torn out. She didn't yelp this time, but made a small noise in her mouth, her lips pressed tight. Finn rapidly moved from barb to barb, grabbing hold of them and swiftly pulling them out. Piper held herself as still as she could, knowing that what he was doing was right. Taking it slow would have only prolonged the agony. She tried not to collapse as she realized that Finn had stopped.

"Umm, Piper, uh, there's just a few more, but they're in your, um, rump." Finn said in a tentative voice.

"Just…do…it." Piper hissed through gritted teeth.

She felt him place his hand on her upper thigh. He nervously changed position and then determinedly reached out and plucked the remaining barbs out of her.

Piper made a small moan as she felt each one tear loose. Once again she felt herself begin to relax as Finn seemed to stop. She felt him begin to lightly rub his hands on her thigh only to pull away.

"Umm, Piper? Could you check to make sure I got them all?"

She sighed and reached back. She investigated the sore flesh and was about to tell him that he had indeed gotten them all when her finger brushed against a barb that was sticking out about a quarter inch. It was close to the back part of the knee, on the inner side.

"Nope, one more, but I think it's going to be hard to get. See, right where my finger is?"

Finn replaced her finger with his, feeling the thin shaft. Taking hold of it between his fingernails he started to pull. Piper lay stone still as he continued to work at the barb, her eyes tightly closed and her mouth a thin line. Her fists were clenched and every muscle was tight. Finn changed hands and began to pull again. Time and again he tried to get a better hold, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants. Piper finally had enough, the barb was in deep and there was no budging it. She turned to look at the boy behind her. His face was a study in concentration, his brows lowered over his eyes, the tip of his tongue poking out between his teeth. She reached back and laid a hand on his arm.

"Enough, Finn. You got most of them. I think that one's going to need a bit more than just a good yank. We'll just have to wait until we get back to the Condor and we can use the first aid supplies."

Finn sat back. They regarded each other for a long moment. "Ok, if you say so. It definitely is in deep. If it's as long as the rest of them, you're gonna need more than just a needle and a pair of tweezers. It's not exactly a little splinter, you know."

"I know." Piper smiled tiredly. "I'll deal with it when I have to." She turned and moved to a sitting position, slowly placing more of her weight on the right side. "Ouch! Guess it's a bit tender to be sitting on." She ruefully admitted and lay back on her side. As she stared out into the shifting haze she realized that it was getting darker.

"How long did I sleep?" she asked.

"Forever."

Piper frowned at Finn's flippant tone. "Really, Finn, how long has it been?"

"I dunno, four, five hours."

She suddenly realized that the blond was worn out. His eyes were red and his body sagged where it leaned against the wall.

"Well, since it looks like night's coming on, and we definitely don't want to be moving around then, we should stay here." Looking over at Finn, Piper continued. "Seeing as you've already taken the first watch, I'll take the other. Anything comes along, I'll whack it over the head with my staff."

Finn opened his mouth to argue, after all, she was injured and obviously just as beat as he was. His words died in his throat as Piper reached out her hand and laid it on his shoulder, her face studying his. Her expression was a mixture of concern and tenderness. "Please, Finn, sleep. You need it, and you won't be doing either of us a favor by trying to be heroic. Besides" she continued, a small grin lifting up one corner of her mouth. "I don't think I'll be getting much sleep with all these knives poking at me. Even though those barbs are out, it still hurts like the dickens."

Finn looked down for minute and then nodded. He helped her to sit closer to the entrance, her energy staff held in a defensive position, ready to strike in any direction. Curling himself behind her he made sure his crossbow was readily available.

"Wake me if anything happens." He mumbled as he drifted into much needed sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

And now for the next installment - how are the past events changing the two's viewpoints?

Chapter 4 – Night Watch

Piper sat watch as the skies darkened. Unlike Finn, she didn't start at every little sound, recognizing them as the noises made by either the wind or the small movements as rock and stone shifted. Once in a while she would hear a long howl, but whether hunting cry or death wail, she couldn't tell. And didn't want to know. She had no trouble staying awake through the long hours, as the ache from her injury stabbed through her. Behind her Finn slept soundly, barely moving. At first she had heard him talking softly in his sleep, and had even leaned closer to see if she could make out what he was saying, but the words were jumbled and indistinct. Eventually he had grown silent until even his slow breathing was barely heard.

Darkness enveloped the wastelands. At first there was only black nothingness, but as her eyes adjusted she could start to make out a greenish glow. Shifting her weight, she peered out of the entrance and over the ledge. Something, whether in the rocks themselves or a plant or animal, was causing the ground to shimmer with a fluorescent light. For a while she gazed out at the gleaming, sparkling landscape, completely entranced. Finally she tired of the light show and sat back.

As Piper sat, she went over in her head what they (meaning she) could have done to make the results of the day's events have a better outcome. She shook her head as she berated herself for losing control of her heliscooter, and for panicking when they had run from the clawbeasts. She also chewed herself out for not moving when she should have, wasting precious seconds while the thornstrike bushes reset their barbs. In fact, she told herself, most of the blame for them being where they were lay strictly on her shoulders. If she hadn't been arguing with Finn, they wouldn't have fallen behind. If she had been paying attention to her surroundings, they wouldn't have been surprised by the Talon's. Granted there was nothing she could have done to prevent Finn from falling from his ride (was there anything on this planet that could?), but surely she could have intercepted him faster, before descending so deep into the wastelands. And she should have recognized the Cyclonian tactic the second they began to streak upwards and taken faster evasive action.

Piper sighed, dejected. "All my fault, this is all my fault." She whispered. "Some tactician I am. No wonder the guys don't listen."

Going over the last few hours' occurrences, she began to realize how much of their survival upon landing in the wasteland was contributed to Finn's quick responses.

_He's the one that came up with the strategy of firing into the bushes, getting them to discharge so we could run through them safely before they reset. Somehow he knew the clawbeasts would stop before crossing into them. And I almost blew it by hesitating. And then he stopped that beast from leaping on me, tearing me to shreds. _

She frowned as she thought of the young blond behind her. He was such a puzzle. On one hand he could be the most irritating, aggravating, annoying, irresponsible, careless child. And sometimes he could be downright dumb. Not to mention being the most cocky, self-assured, self-centered, oh-so-full of himself jerk, even though he'd scream like a girl at shadows.

And then he'd switch as if someone had turned a knob. He'd be right there, firing his weapon at anything and everything, be it Talons, Leviathans, Raptors, even firing directly at Master Cyclonis once. Not even Murk Raiders stopped him. When she had heard the story of how he had infiltrated the Murk ship and stolen the Serpegris, she was inclined to disbelieve it, but Stork had backed it up. And Stork was about as charmed by Finn's conceit as she was. He would be the last to play up Finn as something more than he was.

Even though Finn would (and did) quake with fear, he didn't let it stop him from taking action. In fact, his impulsiveness often made the difference, turning the tide when saner heads would still be scratching, trying to figure out what to do.

As she considered her teammate, Piper began to realize an epiphany. Perhaps the very trait that made Finn such a good marksman was also responsible for his personality swings and wild behavior. He didn't think when taking aim and firing at a target, just went on sheer instinct, backed up by an amazing talent and not a little luck. He went through life the same way, taking things as they came and responding to them as needed. Granted, his over blown ego caused him to over reach his bounds, but he just picked himself up, dusted himself off and after pouting for a moment or two, went happily on his way to whatever was next.

Piper looked back over her shoulder and regarded the small, slim figure. She began to recall moments in their lives together when he had taken the time to be there for her, like after they had discovered that Master Cyclonis had disguised herself in an attempt to infiltrate them and gain Piper's support. She still smiled at Finn's suggestion that they braid each other's hair.

She shifted a little and was instantly reminded of her wounds. _And now this. He was incredibly gentle taking those barbs out, the way his hand rested on my leg, steadying me and giving comfort at the same time. And the way he hesitated before taking the ones out of my rump. Or asking me to check to make sure all the barbs were gone, as if he was too embarrassed to feel for them himself. Not to mention that he was willing to stay awake, let me rest some more._

Piper felt a rush of affection for her blond teammate. She shook her head as she told herself that yes, he could be an idiot sometimes. But she wouldn't trade him in. Besides, who would she argue with?

As the night wore on, Piper began to have difficulty in keeping awake. She almost – almost – wished that something would attack, just so she would be able to wake up. She kept peering out of the cavern to the east, hoping to see some kind of lightening. Surely dawn was not far away.

Admitting defeat, she gave up and turned to Finn. She needed stimulation or she was going to fall over. She turned and reached out, grabbing him by the shoulder and shaking him awake.

"Mmmm, no, hmm, jus a lil more…mmm." Finn mumbled.

Piper shoved at him. Finn sat up and looked at her, his face completely confused.

"So much for being ready at a moment's notice. If I had relied on you, we'd be dinner." Piper remarked, but her words were softened by her smile.

He blinked and then his eyes opened wide. "Sorry." He sheepishly apologized. "Say, speaking about dinner, how about handing over those cookies you've been holding out on."

It was Piper's turn to look guilty, as she had completely forgotten about their small stash of food. She quickly grabbed the little bag. Reaching in, she pulled out one of the cookies and handed it to Finn. "Make it last, cause that's all you're gonna get. We don't know when the next meal is going to be, so we've got to stretch these out."

Finn sulked as he looked at the tiny round morsel. "Geez, might as well not have anything at all."

"Well, if you feel that way, you could give it back."

Finn regarded her with a look that said 'yeah right' and popped the whole thing in his mouth. He made a point of chewing longer than was necessary and swallowed with an audible gulp. Sighing deeply, he leaned back and patted his stomach. "Ahhh, filling and nutritious."

Piper didn't bother to reply, only handed him the water bottle.

"I suppose I'm to take the tiniest of sips, right?"

"Only if you don't want to be thirsty later. And remember, half of that water is mine. Don't think I won't beat the crud out of you if you try to take more than your share." Piper replied, her voice serious but her tawny eyes smiled.

Finn regarded the girl in front of him with mock horror. "Piper…I…I can't believe you'd actually think that I, Finn, would stoop so low, why…I…Well, I'm just shocked, that's what I am."

She looked back at him with her own 'yeah right' expression. Finn took a small sip from the bottle and wiping the mouth off with his sleeve, handed it back. "Yeah, well, I'll be watching you too, see." He said jokingly.

Both of them looked up as a long howl split the night, nearer than any before. Finn aimed his crossbow at the entrance and motioned Piper to stay where she was. Silently he moved out until he was crouching on the ledge. He peered over and at first could see nothing, but then his eyes spotted movement as something dark moved down below, its shape making a black spot against the green glow. He watched as it seemed to be moving back and forth, following some sort of invisible trail. He gasped as he saw smaller shapes suddenly leap out and away, the larger shape giving a snort and chasing after. Part of him wanted the prey to get away safe, and another part of him acknowledged the truth that if the hunted was caught, the hunter wouldn't search for more quarry – like them. Relaxing his grip on his crossbow, Finn scooted back to the relative safety of the cave. Catching Piper's eye he gave a shake of his head and shrugged.

They sat in silence for a while, staring out the entrance, lost in their own thoughts. Piper gradually noticed that her partner was beginning to fidget. Glancing over at him, she could see he was entering a most dangerous stage. He was becoming bored. She waited, wondering what he would come up with to alleviate his lack of stimulation. She didn't have long to speculate.

"Hey, Piper, since it seems like it's taking forever for the sun to come up, what do you say we play a game to pass the time?"

"Well, I suppose. What do you have in mind?"

"How about, I spy something – green."

"Uh, phosphorescence?"

"If that means that greeny, glowy stuff out there, yup. Your turn."

Piper sighed with irritation. "Finn. The only thing we can make out is rocks, darkness and 'greeny, glowy stuff'."

"Oh come on, where's your imagination? You can do better than that. Go on, just try once."

"Ok, I spy a blond numskull."

Finn looked at her blankly. "Sorry Piper, I don't see anything like that."

Piper gave a lazy wave of her arm, pretending to backhand him. Finn snorted with laughter.

"My turn to pick the game." Piper announced.

"Great, let me guess, 'name the obscure philosopher' or better yet, 'if I was a crystal, what color would I be'."

"Finn!!!"

"Fine, fine, whatever."

"Grrr, sometimes…Alright. I went to the market and bought an apple."

The sharpshooter sighed, but recited her choice and added his own. They went back and forth until they hit the m's. Finn sat there trying to recall just what 'h' was. What was really embarrassing was that he had chosen 'h'. He closed his eyes and tried to remember. Nothing. "A..a..heliscooter." he blurted out and looked over at his partner, hoping maybe she wouldn't recall. No such luck as she smirked superiorly at him.

"Wrong! It was herbivore and wherever you came up with a word like that, I'll never know. No wonder you couldn't remember it."

He pulled up one side of his lip and waggled his head and shoulders from side to side. "Yeah, whatever. Think you're soooo smart." And just to finish the point, he stuck his tongue out at her.

Piper rolled her eyes and turned away. She suddenly realized that during their game, the sky outside was finally getting lighter. She could see the wisps of clouds drifting by. "Look, morning. A few more minutes and it'll be light enough to see by." She made a move to stand up. And found her leg had stiffened during the night.

Finn was instantly at her side, his hands under her arms as he both supported her and lifted her up. Gradually she placed more and more weight on her injured leg, until she was able to stand on both.

"Well?" Finn asked.

"Stiff, sore as all heck, but better than it was. Might be a little slow going at first, but I think as I move it'll loosen up."

He slowly released her, prepared to steady her if she seemed at all about to fall. Piper swayed a bit and held onto her staff, using it to brace herself and slowly moved out onto the rocky ledge, Finn beside her. Stopping, she motioned for him to proceed in front of her. Bit by bit, little by little they climbed the rocky stair, which were beginning to get both steeper and narrower.

Eventually they reached the point where there was no more to the ledge, at least not enough to walk on and they scanned the wall around them to see if they could scope out a route that would take them up. Finally Finn, telling Piper to wait there, descended back down to see if there was any other way, or if they'd gone as far as they could. He was gone long enough for Piper to be concerned and then she saw his blond head appear. As soon as he saw her, he beckoned her to join him, his voice calling out and asking if she could make it on her own or if she needed him up there. She waved that she was ok and began to descend.

Piper followed Finn as he led her to a small ridge. The rocks were knobby and made good hand and foot holds.

"This time you go first." He said.

She looked at him speculatively. "You really think you could catch me if one of the rocks or my leg gives way?"

Finn scowled. "Just go." He growled and gave her a gentle shove.

Up they climbed. It seemed as if for every route that led upwards, they had to take two or three back trips to get to it. Still, when they reached a small ledge just perfect for sitting on, they could tell they were much higher than they had been that morning.

Sweating, grimy, covered in rock dust, their hair plastered to neck and forehead, the two sat on the ledge, panting and puffing. One good thing, sitting this high up meant that there was a breeze and their lungs were no longer filled with the noxious fumes. Wordlessly they handed the water bottle back and forth, careful to take only the slightest sip, even though they both wanted to guzzle the whole thing. Piper brought out the cookie bag again and once more they ate one apiece. This time Finn ate in teeny bites, letting the fragment sit on his tongue until it dissolved.

Piper's leg was on fire, and she would gladly have taking it off and flung it into the wastelands if she could. The one remaining barb felt as if a white hot knife was stabbing her with every movement. As she sat she repeatedly kneaded her thigh with her right hand. Sitting next to her, Finn couldn't help but notice the pain she was in, even though she was doing everything to keep from letting it show.

_Dang it, why does she have to be so stubborn? There were plenty of places we could have stopped to rest, but she just kept on climbing. Knew I should have put my foot down. I don't know if it's a control thing or if she doesn't want to worry me, but she should have said something. I mean, if you're in pain, say so. Maybe I can't do anything about it, but I can let her know I sympathize. And she calls me irritating._

Finn leaned towards Piper until his shoulder contacted hers, just a light touch, to let her know he was there, nearby, ready to give comfort, support, to be a friend. For a long moment she seemed not to notice, and then finally leaned back. Finn glanced at her from the corner of his eye and saw she was watching him the same way. They both began to smile at the same time. Piper slid a bit further down and tilted her head against him. Finn shifted his position a bit and worked his arm up and around her back, hugging her to him.

"Sleep, if you want to. I know I'm bushed. It's not as if we have to climb this stupid rock in one day." He softly said.

Piper sighed, wanting nothing more in the world than to fade into black. "Maybe…just for a little bit. I won't go to sleep, but I think I'll close my eyes, rest a while."

"Take as long as you like, I'm not going anywhere." Finn remarked and sat there looking out into the low clouds. He could feel her relax against him and he tightened his arm a little, just to make sure she wouldn't slip if she changed position. Leaning his head back he told himself that he'd just close his eyes for a moment, too.


	5. Chapter 5

Hmmm, Piper's outlook on Finn has changed a bit. And just what is Finn's thoughts on the sittuation...

Chapter 5 – Paradise Found

Two small figures sat on the ledge for quite some time, until the dark skinned female stirred and straightened up.

Piper looked at the sky and determined that they had rested for a couple of hours. They still had a good five or six hours until sunset, and this ledge was not big enough to make a good refuge for the night. She turned to wake Finn and found him staring at her.

"I suppose you want to go on?" he said, his voice serious, but his eyes held a teasing glitter. As she nodded, he heaved a huge sigh and grimaced. "Fine, fine, whatever you say. No rest for the weary."

Both of them took their time standing, as muscles protested from the long morning's climb. Finn looked down at his hands and winced; his fingers were cut and scraped by the sharp rocks. "Man, maybe I should have full-fingered gloves." Piper gave a snort and held out her own hand, her forefinger and pinkie in the same shape, her once finely shaped fingernails rough and ragged. "Tell me about it, I'm going to need a manicure when we get back."

Finn gave her a startled look, he had never known her to go into the finer things of being female. Piper caught the look and frowned. "What, you think I don't treat myself every so often?"

He shrugged, baffled once again by the mysteries of the female race. Piper gave every intention of being a hardened Storm Hawk, a warrior, tough and ready for battle, and then would suddenly become all soft and giggly. He remembered how she had turned all mushy over that Domiwick fellow. And he also recalled that she had ended up kicking his butt when the explorer had turned out to be a jerk.

"After you, sweetie."

Piper scowled at him but didn't respond.

Once more they struggled ever upward, their world consisting only of the next handhold, the best place to put a foot. From time to time either Piper would reach down and give a helping hand to Finn, or he would shove her foot up, place it in a more secure spot. They paid no attention to the ever increasing distance that yawned below them. Living on a world like Atmos, fear of heights was not an option. Not that you didn't have a healthy respect and avoided falling at all costs, but it was hard not to get through life if you couldn't stand on the edge of a terra or ship. Not to mention riding a skimmer through wide open skies.

Piper heaved herself over a ridge. And came to a stop, her eyes widening in disbelief. There before her was a small valley, covered in vegetation. She lay there and stared as if witnessing a mirage. She was vaguely aware of Finn huffing and puffing behind her as he tried to pull himself up and over.

Finn looked up, just barely able to catch a glimpse of Piper. She had stopped and wasn't moving. Fearing that either she had reached the end of her reserves and had collapsed, or that she was face to face with some unknown monster, Finn tried to gain a foothold that would allow him to spring upwards. "Piper?" He whispered. "Is something wrong?" Just as he was about to scramble up, she turned and offered him his hand. Her face was grinning with delight. Finn blinked, not sure what to make of her happiness, surely they had not reached the top.

Grabbing her hand he felt her pull him up. As he reached the top it was his turn to stare at the veritable garden in front of them. They sat and stared at the sight, regarding it as if it were a present that neither was expecting. Without speaking they both stood at the same moment and began to walk forward, as if in a dream. It was Finn who broke the reverie.

"Berries!!!!" he screamed, and ran toward a small bush covered in luscious dark purple fruit. He grabbed a handful and brought them to his mouth. And yelped as his hand was slapped away. Looking up he glared at Piper, who glared back.

"What the heck did you do that for?" he whined.

"Because, you moron, those may be berries, but they're a type I've never seen before. For all you know they could be poisonous. We're not that far from the wasteland." Piper exclaimed.

"But, but, berries are berries." He reached out and plucked another orb. "Let me try just a small bite, and if I don't fall over, we'll know it's ok."

Piper grabbed his wrist. "And if they're anything like purge berries, you'll fall sick hours from now and heave yourself to death."

Finn's eyes widened. He looked at the berry in his hand and dropped it.

"Besides, I hear something even better." Piper remarked, and began to limp off. Finn gave the berries one last yearning look and then hurried to catch up to her. It wasn't long before he, too, could hear what her ears had caught.

Water. Bubbling, flowing, trickling water. Zeroing in on the sound, they finally spotted a small stream running between the rocks. Once more Piper restrained Finn as he all but flung himself face down into the wet miracle.

"Now what?" he grumbled.

"Just be patient." Piper ordered. She dug into her stash and pulled out a small blue-white crystal. "Aqua-stone." She remarked. Seeing Finn's still confused look, she sighed. "They're used to test the purity of water, you place it in a stream or anything that has water in it, and if it stays clear, the water's good. If it turns cloudy, don't drink it."

"Cool." Finn observed, impressed by the crystal's ability. He watched as she held it in the running water, pulling it out to reveal that it was as clear as the sky over Terra Ray. Finn wasted no time in flopping face first in the water, his mouth open, gulping in drink after drink.

Piper wandered upstream a bit, until she came to a slightly wider area, the water making a small pond. At first she knelt to scoop the sweet water into her mouth, running her wet hands around her face, the back of her neck, across each shoulder. She shivered a bit at the chilly water. Taking off her gloves she plunged her hands in up to the elbow, reveling in the coolness. Feeling the pain in her leg build, she straightened it out, her face beginning to express a pensive look. Shifting herself around, she slowly lowered her right leg into the water. The cold made her gasp, but as it enveloped her thigh she sighed with relief. As she sat there, her burning leg being soothed by the icy water, she tilted her head back and closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun and the soft breeze on her face.

Finn had finally drunk his fill and had come to the same conclusion as Piper had, to immerse himself into the cool water. He took off his gloves, boots and socks and stripped off his shirt. He tried to lie down in the stream but it was too narrow, so he ended up sitting in it and scooping waves of it up and over him with his hands, thoroughly dousing himself. He grinned happily as water ran down, washing away the dirt and grime that had worked its way under his clothes. He thought momentarily of stripping completely, but decided not to, as he knew for sure he'd be caught. He could easily imagine the sound of her outraged scream.

He gave a small hiccup and sighed. This was bliss, this was heaven, this was better than a pack of Amazonian beauties gathered around him. Well, maybe not quite that good. Besides, his stomach was growling and he was beginning to shiver. Finn stood up and pulled his clothes back on.

Piper heard him coming, his wet clothes squelching with every step. Her leg felt almost normal, the heat from the wounds had cooled. She hadn't told Finn, but her thigh had begun to feel tight and swollen. She didn't want to worry him and besides, there wasn't anything he could do about it anyway. She looked up as he came to stand beside her.

She shared his grin as he dropped down beside her.

"Now all we need is a King Castle burger stand and we've got it made." Finn stated.

Piper reached into the bag and handed him a small round wafer. "Have a cookie."

"Gee, thanks."

They munched in silent partnership. Piper looked around at her surroundings until she turned her head and found Finn staring at her speculatively. She broke his glance and began to scrub at the dirt under her fingernails.

"Piper…Look at me. You think you have me fooled but you don't. How's the leg?"

Piper hesitated, then said cheerily. "Oh, ok, a little sore still, but the water's helped that."

Finn blew his breath out between his lips. "Yeah, and I'm next in line to be a Sky Knight."

Piper sighed. "OK, it hurts. Happy? It hurts and it burns and it's a pain in the.."

"Rump?" the blond finished.

"That, too. But mostly from that one remaining barb. I think it's working its way in deeper."

He motioned for her to turn over. She complied and soon felt his fingers rubbing at her lower thigh, right above the back of her knee, hunting for the tiny spine. Finn's brow began to crease as he continued to search with no luck. Finally his fingertip came in contact with the end, barely sticking out. She was right, it was working its way in.

"Piper, it's barely above the surface. I don't think I can grab hold of it, let alone pull it out. I couldn't get a grip on it last night."

Piper nodded. "That's ok, Finn. I know you would if you could. At least it can't go much deeper, maybe it'll start poking out the other side."

Finn shook his head at her practicality. If he'd had some sharp painful thing in him, he'd be doing all he could to get it out. Short of cutting off his leg, of course.

"Here, help me up, the water's starting to turn me blue." Piper said, holding out her hand.

"Well, dark blue, maybe." Finn joked as he pulled her up.

"Fine, smarty pants, you can fill this up." Piper shot back, handing him the nearly empty water bottle.

Finn quickly dumped out the stale water and filled up the container. He took a long drink from it, and bent to fill it up again. Straightening up, he remarked "Did you notice how sweet it is? It's much sweeter here than back there."

"You know, I did notice it was sweeter than normal water." She replied and watched as he walked upstream a few paces. Finn bent over and took another sample. "Yup," he affirmed "even sweeter. Wonder what's causing that?"

Piper, her own curiosity aroused, followed him. They made their way up the winding stream until they came to a stand of oddly shaped reeds. They were multi jointed, bulbous around the middle and colored a sandy tan. Long brownish-green fronds waved in the breeze at the top of the stalks. Finn bent and took a sip, commenting on how the water was really sweet. Pushing through the reeds, Finn once more swallowed a mouthful. His face showed amazement.

"Nothing! I mean, it tastes just like regular old water. Must be those reed thingies."

Finn turned back and grabbed hold of a stalk, breaking it off at one of the joints. As he held it up, a thin, syrupy liquid oozed out. Before she could stop him, he brushed his finger against it and licked it off.

Piper's admonition died in her throat as she stared in horror. Finn's eyes were bugged out and his mouth was in a 'O'. He stared at her in shock. Then her heart began to beat again as he grinned wildly.

"Sweeeet!" He yelled. "This stuff is ten times sweeter than sugar, maybe even crystal rock candy. Wow! Piper, you've got to try this." He held out the plant to her. And stepped back as he caught the anger blazing in her tawny gold eyes.

"Finn, I thought you had been poisoned or something! Didn't I just tell you not to eat something you didn't know what it was!!!" she yelled, her fists clenched.

"Oh. Sorry. But you know, if this was poisonous, wouldn't your little crystal have shown it?"

Piper gaped at him. Once again he had come to the right conclusion. Sometimes she wondered if Finn played up his stupidity.

"Perhaps." She responded, not willing to admit that he could be right. "But even still, you need to be careful."

Finn regarded her with a look of impishness. "Fine, here, will this make you feel better?"

He grabbed at his throat and started to make choking noises, his blue eyes crossed and his tongue sticking out. He began to stagger crazily until he flung himself down onto the ground, where he writhed for a few seconds before coming to stop on his back. He shook his entire body, then gave a "GASP – wheeeeeeeze" and flopped his head over to the side, his tongue lolling out. He stayed still for a long moment, then shot his arm up into the air and shook it, only to let it fall back down.

Piper tried, she seriously tried to stay angry at him, but as she watched his antics she could feel the bubble of mirth building in her, rising up until it finally broke free. She laughed. She laughed so hard she had to sit down, wiping at the tears that streamed down her face.

Finn had craned his head back to look at her and bounced to his feet when he saw that his clowning had worked. He walked over to her, his face split by a wide grin. Sitting down next to her, he poked her in the arm with a finger.

"There, I told you it would make you feel better."

She regarded the blond next to her. Giggling, she could only grin back and shake her head. Finally she calmed down enough to get her breath back.

"Oh, Finn, thanks. I needed that, more than I realized." She felt more refreshed than she did after sitting in the water. "Guess I've been a little stressed out."

"Yeah, well, considering what we've gone through, can't really blame you. But hey, ya gotta look on the bright side. We survived a Talon ambush, crash landing, being attacked by those claw beasts or whatever they were, survived a night out on the wastelands, climbed half a mountain and even found our own personal paradise. Not bad, huh?"

Piper nodded, once again struck by Finn's resiliency. "Yup, now all we have to do is get rescued and everything'll be blue skies."

"Yeah. Strange that we haven't seen anything of Aerrow and Junko. You don't think something happened that's preventing them from looking for us, do you?"

Piper was silent. She too had wondered why they had not been found. All last night as she had kept watch, she had listened for the sound of skimmers. Every time she had taken a small break in climbing, she had searched the skies for a sign of their friends.

She shook her head determinedly. "No. They'll find us. We both know they will."

Finn caught her mood and quickly perked up. "That's right, Aerrow won't stop until he finds us, and Junko will tear the wasteland to shreds, looking for us. Stork would land the Condor on that little ledge if he had to."

"Exactly."

Buoyed by their shared optimism, the two friends stood up. As they did so they noticed that the sky was darkening once more towards night.

Piper sighed. "Looks like we'll be spending another night on this rock."

"Uh-huh, but at least this time we have FOOD!!" Finn exclaimed, breaking off more of the stalks.

"Great, just what you need, more sugar." She took one of the stalks he offered and tasted the oozing sap. It was definitely sweeter than sugar, but it also had a tang to it. Very refreshing she thought. Finn was chewing on one as he stood beside her. "Well, we need to find shelter before it gets too dark." She instructed. They walked up the stream toward the far cliff wall, searching for a place to spend the night. Outside of some small birds, the only animal they had seen so far had been a squirbit, its long ears alert as it's fuzzy tail lashed back and forth, chattering at them in a scolding tone. But they couldn't chance that there might be larger predators about.

Piper was the first to spot the outcrop of rocks that made a natural fort, an overhang giving protection from the sky. They climbed up and squeezed through the small, narrow entrance. Once in, they found that the floor of the roughly six foot circular area was smooth dirt. The overhang hung above the rocks by only a few inches, making it hard for anything large to sneak in.

"Block that entrance and we're snug as a bug. I saw some thick-branched bushes on our way up, that should work." Finn suggested.

Piper nodded, "And if we gather some of that springy moss bushes, we'll have a softer bed than the one last night."

Quickly they got to work, gathering the necessary material to outfit their shelter. Finn easily broke off the dry branches and was soon staggering with an enormous armful. Piper had made small piles of the soft vegetation and was soon transferring it into the den, laying it out into two long rectangles. Finn dumped the sticks next to the entrance and lent her a helping hand, as he could see she was beginning to tire again, her face drawn.

The daylight was just about faded as they wedged the branches into the entrance, weaving the sticks into each other for sturdiness. Snapping his fingers the blond ran toward the back wall where he gathered a handful of stones.

"These will alert us if anything tries to get through that." He said, laying some of the rocks at the base and setting the others in amongst the branches. "If something tries to push, these rocks will fall and strike the ones on the ground, making a noise we hopefully should hear even in sleep." He looked at her proudly, then instantly shifted gears to regard her sheepishly, "We managed to stay awake last night, but both of us are wiped out. We could play games all night and fall asleep in mid word."

Piper smiled at him, both impressed by his solution and agreeing with his assessment. Even after eating the sweetstalks (as she called them) she was fading fast and her knee was killing her. All she wanted to do was lie down on the soft bed and sleep. As she turned she noticed the remaining bundle of sticks Finn had brought in. She motioned to her blond partner to grab a few and place them in the middle of the floor. He gave her a puzzled look, but did as she asked.

Grabbing up her staff, Piper pointed one end at the branches. "And this will help even more, so we can see if we need to." She squeezed the trigger, sending a blast of red energy into the wood, setting it alight, making a bright blaze.

Finn whistled. "Wow, I didn't know you could do that."

Shrugging, she made her way to her mossy mattress and stretched out onto her stomach. "There're lots of things you can do with crystals if you know how to attune them. Just a shift of the settings on my staff and presto – instant campfire."

Finn sat down on his own bed, removing his crossbow and setting it beside him. He looked over at the girl across from him worriedly. She had dropped her head into her crossed arms, her eyes closed. Her pixie-ish face was tight, her brow creased in pain, the dusky skin pale. If she wasn't asleep, she soon would be.

_Man, I hope we get rescued soon. I don't think she's going to be in any condition to climb tomorrow. And that knee of hers is going to need medical attention. Thornbushes aren't poisonous, thank the winds, but having a six inch long needle in your flesh isn't healthy. And if I know her, she'll try to climb anyway. Stubborn, obstinate, irritating, always-has-to-be-right know it all. And a music critic, at that. Not to mention putting waayyyy too much work into those 'plans' of hers. If she's so smart, how come she never realizes that sometimes the best course of action is to roll with the flow. I mean, even Aerrow doesn't get all caught up in the details. And if I took the time to analyze every shot, the target would be long gone. Why can't she be more like us guys?_

As Finn considered the slumbering female, he slowly began to come to a realization. She strove so hard to be one of the guys, and yet seemed to always be at odds with them. True, being a girl had a lot to do with it. Physically, psychologically, emotionally and even mentally different she would never break the wall that separated female from male. No matter how close she was to him, Aerrow, Junko, Stork and even Radarr, there were things that she would never understand, experience or discover.

_And that, you moron, is why she tries so hard. Why she has to be better at the things she can do, better at everything, making every effort to keep up with us, to prove to us and her own self that she's capable. More than capable, really. No wonder she gets so annoyed with us, here she is trying to be the best and she's surrounded by a bunch of idiots who don't appreciate all she is. And does._

Finn nodded as his mind began to recognize and appreciate her abilities. She was the force that kept them together. She navigated not only the Condor, but the inhabitants inside, laying down pathways and setting up guideposts. Her commonsense was in direct opposition with the others recklessness, a much needed brake on their often run-away enthusiasm. Not that Piper herself didn't have a streak of optimism, but she was able to temper it with reason, bolstered by actual knowledge instead of gut feelings.

_Geez, and I'm the worst of all. I used to think she was an overbearing nag, who spouted all that history and facts because she wanted to rub it in how smart she is. And I would turn around and poke fun or lose attention or be just plain rude. Sometimes, Finn, you can be a real jerk._

Regarding Piper with mixed feeling of respect, apology and fondness, Finn added a few more branches to the fire. Giving a yawn and a stretch, he lay down on the moss. He was asleep the minute his head settled into the springy foliage.


	6. Chapter 6

Well now, each one is taking a better look at the other. Keep in mind each one is just beginning to realize that there is more to the other than they once thought. So what happens next? What will occur that pushes their feelings even further...

Chapter 6 – Crisis

Finn opened his eyes as his brain tried to process the odd sound that had finally penetrated his deep sleep. Raising his head he scanned the small enclosure, checking the branches blocking the entrance – still intact – and making sure nothing was trying to crawl over the walls. He was about to go back to sleep, sure he must have been dreaming, when he heard the sound again. A low moan filled the area. At first Finn was not sure where it had come from, but as he sat up he heard it again, his ears catching its origin.

Piper.

In a flash he was kneeling beside her. He shook her gently and tried to wake her, but she wouldn't respond, only groaned louder. As he brushed her tangled hair away from her face, his hand felt the feverish skin. She was burning up. Realizing that her wounds must be infected, he thought of a way to bring down the fever, give her comfort. He ran to the entrance and started to pull away the barrier, having every intention of dashing down to the stream and soaking his shirt in it, until he realized that would leave her alone, vulnerable. Quickly coming to a decision he grabbed his crossbow, locked it to his back and then rushed over and lifted her in his arms. Her small body seemed to weigh nothing at all.

He raced down to the pond where the sweetstalks were and splashed in. Still holding her he sat down, immersing her as much as possible in the cool water. Holding her upright, he brushed his wet fingers across her hot brow and cheeks. Every so often he would moisten her dry lips. He realized that he was rocking her, trying to sooth her discomfort. And ease his own worry.

Hearing a rustle Finn jerked his head up and around, but realized it was just the wind through the dry fronds. Insects that had been silenced by his noisy intrusion were beginning to chirp and hum again, indicating that there was no danger.

He sat, debating as to whether he was doing more harm than good, if the cold water was lowering her temperature or giving her a chill.

_Dang it, if I had paid more attention when Piper was giving us that lecture on first aid, I'd know what to do. And if she wasn't sick, she'd know what to do. _

_Wait a minute, if she wasn't sick, this wouldn't be necessary. Are you really this dumb, dummy?_

Again Finn made a split-second decision, trusting to luck and instinct and his ever confident outlook. Standing up he turned around and headed back to the shelter. Upon entering he laid his friend gently down on her bed, making sure she was turned so her weight was off the damaged leg. Working fast he replaced the branches at the entrance and then placed more of the sticks on the smoldering fire, blowing on the embers until bright flame burst forth.

Turning once more to the injured girl he positioned himself so he could look at her leg in the firelight. He could tell the thigh was swollen, the fabric of her pants pulled tight. Muttering an apology, he felt the back of her leg. He couldn't really tell if the wounds were infected, not without looking at the entry points themselves. Finn grimaced, he had no choice, really. Praying to the gods, fate, storms and the stars, he started to pull Piper's pants down. Bit by bit he worked them lower, the wet fabric and the swollen thigh making it hard to slip down easily. Added to that was Finn's own embarrassment of taking such liberties with his teammate, his hands trying to undress her with as little actual contact as possible. He hoped she would never find out or his butt would be kicked straight into the Black Gorge. Better yet, she'd probably deliver him directly to Master Cyclonis with the instructions to do the worst to him.

Finally he had her right thigh completely exposed, the angry red dots obvious. And especially troubling was the hard swollen knot that indicated where the one remaining barb was still stuck deep. Finn probed the area as gently as he could. The spine had disappeared completely into the muscle above the back of her knee. Feeling around to the front, he could just make out a hard bump.

Finn sat back trying to work out what he should do next. Oh, he knew what must be done, it was the implementation that was worrisome. Even though she was unconscious, he didn't want her flailing around in agony. He had to come up with a way to hold her still so he could remove the barb and still keep her from trying to get away.

Once more the sharpshooter's personal brand of ingenuity came to the rescue. Sitting on her rump, he gripped her thighs with his. Taking a deep breath he grabbed her wounded leg and pressed his thumb hard against the back, driving the dart down, causing the tip to push out the other side. Beneath him he could feel her weak attempt to writhe away, a pain filled moan escaping from her. Reaching under her leg he grasped the emerging spine, the barbs sticking into his fingers as he removed the dart easily. As he pulled he could feel sticky fluid running out of the wound. Flinging the spine away from him, he kept the pressure on the back of her leg, hoping that any infection would be pushed out as well. Inspecting his fingers he noted that they were covered in blood. He turned her leg a little to check the exit wound and found it bleeding slightly, then noticed that there was a small puddle of sticky matter under the wound, blood mixed with something else. Wrinkling his nose, Finn grabbed a nearby stick and scraped the stuff away, then gathered the moss where it had been and tossed it into the fire.

Beneath him Piper lay silently. He pulled himself off her and looked into her face. Her eyes were still closed, her face pulled into a deep frown. Finn sighed and returned to inspecting the angry red spots that marked where the other darts had been. Only a few were raised and he scraped at them, the heads bursting and white fluid running out. A couple he needed to squeeze to remove all of the infection. Each time he made sure to let them bleed clear, rinsing the area with water from the bottle.

Finn pulled his mouth to one side, pondering his next move. He had opened all the infected spots on her thigh but knew that her rump had been hit. Taking a deep breath he took hold of the edge of her panties between thumb and forefinger. Lifting the edge up and back, he hesitantly pushed his shaking finger along the smooth flesh of her buttock. He was studiously avoiding looking down. He found only one spot that was raised and took care of it. Letting go of the elastic Finn sat back and heaved a heavy sigh, glad that that was over. He poured more of the water over his fingers and wiped them into the moss, again gathering up the handful and throwing it into the fire.

Reaching forward he began to work her pants back up, an inch at a time. He had to turn her body over to pull them back into place. He kept his eyes averted and his teeth gritted. As he made the final adjustments to her clothes he felt a sense of relief. He hoped he'd never have to pull a girl's pants down again.

Finn stopped as he realized what he had just said. He, the consummate ladies man, constantly trying to get a girl, any girl to notice him had just wished not to touch a girl.

_Well, this is different; this is Piper, not some babe-ette. Yes, she's a girl, but she's a friend. Thinking of her that way would be….sick. Like going after a sister or something. Ewww. Besides, it's not as if she'd be interested, especially in somebody like me. She can barely stand to be in the same room with me sometimes, especially when I'm being extra annoying. And I've never noticed her to go all gaga eyed over a guy, except maybe that idiot Domiwick. And that was only because he was some kind of expert on something she was interested in. Come to think of it, I've never noticed her take any interest in any guy, girl friend wise. Guess she's too much into her crystals and maps and books. And while I'm on the subject, I've never noticed any guy take a look at her either. Not that she isn't kinda pretty and all, but if she's not putting out any vibes for us guys to pick up on, we ain't gonna notice. And what guy is going to want someone three times better than he is? And smarter? And who could kick his butt with her Sky Fu moves? _

Finn shook his head. He could not imagine Piper all cooing and simpering around some guy, taking second seat to him just to stroke his fragile ego. Still, she did seem to change into a whole 'nother creature when 'Lark' had showed up, becoming giggly and silly. He wasn't at all sure what he would make of it if Piper suddenly showed affection towards some male. He could hear Stork now, muttering about some dire disease, predicting untold doom. Junko'd probably smile and shrug, figuring it would be a good thing and that people were meant to be together. Aerrow – he wasn't sure how Aerrow would take it either, probably frown in confusion, wondering how this would affect the team.

Jerking himself out of his reflection he realized that Piper was beginning to shiver. He added more fuel to the fire and looked at the dwindling wood with dismay. He debated once again about leaving her alone while he gathered more branches, but decided against it. Even though they had left the wasteland below, they weren't out of danger yet.

Dismantling the barrier once more, he piled the branches near him so he could easily keep the fire going. Gently gathering Piper's body into his lap, he held her to him, his hands rubbing up and down her arms, trying to warm her. Her breathing was ragged and he could feel her heart racing. Even though he had cleaned out the wounds, her body was still fighting the infection.

As Finn cradled Piper in his arms he slowly grew aware of the fact that for the first time in his life, he was actually holding a girl. Even though he kept telling himself that this was Piper, not an actual real chick, he couldn't help but notice how she fit against him. How she nestled into his lap, with her legs draped over his thigh. The way the curve of her torso pressed against his chest. An odd tingle went up his spine as Piper instinctively snuggled closer, placing her face in the crook of his neck. He held her stiffly, almost afraid to breath. Both his mind and body were being assaulted by strange sensations. His hands still rubbed up and down her arms, but now they also took note of the shape of those arms, the feel of muscle and bone structure. His chest was aware of the motion of her breathing and began to counter mirror it, breathing in when she breathed out, out when in. He could smell the sweat and dirt on her, along with a whiff of her soap, the shampoo she used. His face was being tickled by strands of her dark hair and her breath whispered at his throat.

He was suddenly overcome with a strong urge to kiss her. To just bend his head down and press his lips to wherever was closest.

Finn's emotions were in a turmoil. A part of him acknowledged his feelings as a manifestation of the concern he felt for her, mixed with friendship. But another part of him tried but failed to suppress the ever rising sense of affection, fondness, even…

_Whoa, whoa! This is Piper! Spark it down, Sparky. What the heck's gotten into you? You hold a girl in your lap and suddenly she's the one? Like that's ever going to happen. We'd kill each other. Granted sometimes I push it, be a little more sarcastic than I should, but she doesn't hold back either. Besides, we have nothing in common with the other. I could care less who discovered what, and she hasn't a clue what good music is. No. You're tired, worried about her, you're on edge. Settle down, jeez. Me and Piper, yeah right._

Finn settled back against the wall, shifting the sleeping girl in his arms a little. He laid a hand on her forehead, noting that although her fever didn't seem to have gone down any, it also didn't seem to have gotten any higher. Finn tossed a few more branches on the dying fire. He sternly told himself that he was going to keep watch the rest of the night.


	7. Chapter 7

Ooh hoo!! Thought's are changing, outlooks are beginning to expand and emotions taking a turn! Read on...

P.S. this is a longish (is that a word?) chapter, but a lot going on - after all, it takes a while to get leopards to change their spots...

Chapter 7 - …is a Friend Indeed

Piper woke but kept her eyes closed. She felt oddly comfortable, as if she were on a soft couch, surrounded by a comfy quilt. She was vaguely aware that she was sitting up, curled into something that was wrapped around her. Whatever it was filled her with a feeling of safety, calmness and security. She dozed, knowing that as long as she stayed where she was, nothing would harm her. She stirred a little and gradually began to realize two things. One – her leg no longer hurt. There was a soreness, but nothing compared to how it had been. And two –

She really had to go to the bathroom.

She tried to ignore her discomfort, loathe to disturb herself out of this pleasant cocoon. But bladders are hard to ignore, especially when acknowledged.

Finally she could stand it no longer and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the rock walls of their enclosure, rays of sunlight streaming between the gaps. The second thing she was aware of was that her couch had arms. Real arms. Jerking her head back she stared at the face next to hers. Finn. She was curled into his lap, his arms around her shoulder and waist. His eyes were closed and his mouth slightly parted, the sharp featured face slack from being relaxed in deep sleep.

Piper's eyes darted around, trying to come up with some kind of logic that would explain this situation. She noticed that the wood barrier was gone and that the fire had sunk down into a large pile of smoking ashes, obviously having consumed all of the branches. How in the world had she ended up in his arms? And why would he have left his bed to hold her?

And she really, really had to go.

Moving carefully so not to wake him, she gathered herself and stood up. She unconsciously arranged her trousers, as they seemed to have become slightly twisted. As she began to walk she noted yet another odd thing. The sharp stabbing agony was gone from her knee. She reached down and could feel that the barb was out, and noticed also that her leg was no longer swollen. Gone too, was the headache she had developed last night, just before she had fallen asleep.

Piper contemplated all of these facts as she made her way outside. The cloud cover had thinned and was allowing some of the morning sun to shine through, illuminating the valley. Checking to make sure she was secure and that there was no danger, she ducked behind the largest bush she could find. She frowned as she tried to find a position that would allow her to relieve herself without removing her pants completely. She wished for a moment that girl's parts weren't quite so tidy. Males definitely had an advantage when it came to this type of thing.

Returning to the shelter, she checked to see if Finn had woken, but he was still deep in dreamland. She picked up the water bottle and found it to be only a third full. Her brow knitted as she remembered that they had filled it full before settling down for the night. She glanced at the slumbering blond. Surely he couldn't have drunk that much water overnight?

Feeling her stomach rumble, she searched for the bag that held the remaining cookies. Most of it was crumbs, though there were a few larger pieces. She fished a couple of the pieces out and ate them. She spied the stack of sweetstalks and began to chew on one, the citrusy sweetness bursting into her mouth. She ambled about the small confines of their den, unsure what to do. She hadn't been able to come up with a satisfactory explanation as to why Finn had held her during the night. She absolutely had no recollection of him doing so. How could she have been so out of it not to feel someone pick her up? Had she been that tired? And even so, WHY would he hold her? And what had happened to the barb in her knee, had he removed it? If so, when and how?

Piper frowned in irritation. She hated not knowing the reason behind anything. Always looking into things, trying to figure out why they did what they did. She was immensely curious about all number of things and would read for hours on just about any subject. At least if it was a subject that held an interest for her. History and geology and geometry, crystal lore, tactics, martial arts, diplomacy and governments all held a high spot in her inquisitive brain. Particularly if it was arcane or obscure. What didn't interest her was what she couldn't quantify. Like boys. Especially boys like Finn, who had absolutely no rhyme or reason. She liked things she could measure, evaluate, calculate and then determine their worth. She had no room for the intangible.

Finally she couldn't stand it any longer. Finn seemed ready to sleep the entire day away. She crouched in front of him and gave him a shake.

His blue eyes fluttered and slowly opened. He gazed at her uncomprehendingly for a moment, and then his eyes opened wide, his face expressing both wonder and relief.

"Piper!! You're awake! And ok!" he exclaimed happily.

The dark haired girl cocked her head at him, her face questioning. Finn suddenly realized that she would have been in his lap when she awoke. Blushing a little, he started to stammer. "Uh, Piper, er, last night, you were sick, the barb in your leg was getting infected, so were some of the holes, too. I, uh, I didn't know what else to do, so, I, uh… "

She continued to gaze at him, her expression one of contemplation. She still hadn't said anything to him and he was getting more nervous. Surely she had to have figured it out. Finn pushed his hands against the wall and levered himself upright. He had been feeling a little vulnerable with her crouching in front of him, just staring. As he stood, he looked down at the dusky skinned girl. "So, I, er, um, well…" Finn took a deep breath, letting it out in a torrent of words. "I had to take down your pants so I could remove the dart and I squeezed the infection out of the other places and yes I had to touch your rump but I didn't look and then you were still cold so I held you to keep you warm and you're all well now so everything's ok."

He shut his eyes tight and turned his head slightly away, already feeling the punch he was sure she'd throw. He heard her stand up, felt her grab the front of his shirt in both hands. He began to wince a little, fearing what punishment she would mete out, even if he had only been helping her.

Finn jumped and almost yelped as he felt her lips press gently against the side of his cheek. Opening his eyes, he regarded her tawny gold irises. They, along with the rest of her face, were smiling. As he stood frozen in disbelief, she leaned forward and kissed him on the other side. She was almost laughing as she released him and stepped back.

Piper regarded him with a mixture of glee and amazement, along with a fair amount of gratitude. She now knew the reason why he had held her, plus why she no longer felt any pain or discomfort. And all though she was a mite uncomfortable with the prospect of having been so out of it that he had been able to undress her without her knowledge, she countered it with the understanding that his actions had been in her best interest.

She tamped down the amusement she felt at his discomfort, she knew he had thought she was going to smack him one, just not quite that way. Still it had been endearing how he had been so embarrassed by his actions, yet had revealed the truth. He could have lied or somehow gave some other less implicating reason. Instead he had honored her by telling her the facts.

"Thank you." She said. "You probably saved my life, especially if I was so sick. We're far from any civilization and who knows when we'll be found." She laid her hand on his arm. "Relax Finn, I understand why you did what needed to be done, and I approve. I would have rather things could have been different, but that's ok. Maybe someday I'll have to return the favor. After all, you owe me."

This time she did laugh at the look of consternation on Finn's face as he tried to imagine a scenario that would involve Piper removing his trousers. She stepped away from him and grabbed the remaining cookies, held the bag out to him. "Eat up, this is all that's left, I've already had my share."

Finn took the bag, looked at the meager contents, made a 'v' out of the top and tilted the crumbs into his mouth. "Yummmmm." He said, patting his stomach, pushing it out like it was stuffed. He glanced out the entrance and saw that the sun had risen quite far. "Well, I guess we'd better get a move on, day's not getting any shorter." He reached down and grabbed the water bottle. "I'm going to go fill this up and, um, stay inside until I get back, I , er, you know…hafta."

She nodded. "Yes, I already used the little girl's bush." It wasn't long before she heard a tapping noise on the rock wall and turned to find the slim blond waiting. As they both left their latest refuge behind, the two couldn't help feeling separately that they had experienced something special, a turning moment in their lives. As they walked along they would steal glances at each other, neither aware the other was doing the same thing, thinking that only they were especially conscious of the figure beside them.

Finn put it down to keeping an eye on her, watching to make sure she was all right, that there wasn't any lingering effect of her illness. Yet it wasn't just her leg he observed, but her entire body, noting how it moved, the swing of arms, the sway of hips, the way in which her shoulders moved as she walked, how she carried her head, the careful manner she placed her feet. He began to take note of the shape of her face, amazed that he'd never noticed the way her jaw curved, the line of her nose, the shape of her eyes and how her eyebrows complemented them.

_You know, she is kind cute. In her own way. I mean she's not exactly babe-ette material, but she's not…bad._

Piper attributed her newfound awareness of Finn to be amazement of his abilities. She'd never realized just how capable he was. As she contemplated the teen next to her, she realized that he was almost as able to take charge of a situation as – well – Aerrow. She had always had a slight crush on the red-headed leader, but more from a standpoint of the Sky Knight's amazing skills. Aerrow was extremely capable and level headed, mature and empathic, traits she admired. She felt secure around Aerrow, safe in the knowledge that she knew where their leader stood. Aerrow was steadfast, competent and dedicated, committed to upholding his, and their role in keeping Atmos safe.

Whereas Finn… Finn she had found too mercurial, his mood swings too abrupt for her sense of stability. She had always regarded him with reservations, weighing his many irritating behaviors with his good points. Which up to now had been mostly his sharpshooting skills and his stick-to-it-tiveness. Even though he might have been quaking in fear, he had never backed down from a fight and would jump into the thick of things to help out. Even if it may not have helped.

And now as she walked beside him she kept looking at him when she thought his attention was elsewhere. He had shown sides of him she would never have admitted he'd possessed. He had shown how much he cared for another, an attribute she hadn't really taken into consideration, as he seemed to always be more concerned with himself. Even as she thought that she knew it wasn't true, Finn cared deeply for his friends, but just wasn't the type to show it readily. Granted, he was quite capable of showing every other emotion. Finn wore his feelings on his face, one glance at him and you knew if he was angry, sad, bored, happy, ecstatic, scared or….serious. She realized that Finn was very capable of being serious, especially in battle or in the height of a mission. It was just that he seemed to wait until the last minute before he lost his humor or fear and assumed a sober expression, one filled with concentration, every fiber of his being attentive on the situation. As soon as the danger was passed he lost no time in returning to his devil may care attitude.

_And that is what he is. You can rant and rave at him all day, wish he'd change, grow up, but he won't. He can't. Finn is…Finn. His strengths are the very things you complain about. He's quick on his feet and able to look at things in a way the rest of us don't. He's not dumb, maybe not very well educated, but he's got a brain and will use it. Perhaps I need to cut him some slack, ease up on him. _

As they walked they had been searching (in between stealing glances at each other) for a way up the cliff wall. Even though the small valley was very pleasant, it was still too close to the wastelands for their comfort. Finn pointed out a small ravine that seemed promising and they made their way to it. For a while it was easy going as the crevice wound its way up. But as they climbed the rock began to mix with dirt and become softer, more gravely and unstable. Soon their feet began to slide back with every step and their balance was uncertain.

Finn was in the lead and was taking more and more time finding the way, trying to take a direction that would support them. The ground was now crumbling beneath their feet and rolling away in small slides. Eventually he stopped as the trail had disappeared. Before them was a steep incline covered with loose rock, dirt and gravel. Above them was nothing for at least a hundred feet and below yawned the hazily seen ground, hundreds of feet below. They could see what looked like a sturdier ledge, just tantalizingly out of reach, too far to jump across to. They wavered, not wanting to have to work their way back after coming so far. It was Piper who noticed the small configuration of rocks jutting out about ten feet below them.

"Look, Finn, see those rocks?" She pointed. "I think we might be able to use those as some kind of stepping stones, what worries me is if one of us slips off."

"Yeah, watch that first drop." Finn quipped.

"Here, I almost forgot, we can use this!" Piper exclaimed, pulling the length of rope out. After a bit of discussion, they decided that Piper would go first, as Finn would be able to hold onto her if she happened to fall. They tied the rope around Piper's waist and did an awkward maneuver as they exchanged places, Piper having to practically climb on Finn's back. Finn held the rope loosely in one hand, then wrapped the end securely round his other hand. She settled herself into position, and quickly made a scrambling leap to the first of the small protuberances, Finn playing out the rope behind her. She swayed for a moment on the tiny ledge, and quickly repeated the movement to the next rock.

It soon became apparent that they didn't have enough rope for her to reach the ledge on other side. Telling Piper to find a secure rock to balance on, Finn tied the remaining end around his waist. Then it was Piper's turn to hold on to the rope as he moved to the first rock. In this way they began to cross, first Piper, then Finn making a mad scramble, keeping the rope tight between them. Though only about a half hour went by, it seemed like days passed before Piper finally gained footing on the stable ledge. She swung around and crouched, bracing her legs as Finn began to make the leaps across the few remaining rocks.

And was almost pulled over the edge as Finn fell. Either his foot had slipped or he'd lost his balance, but one moment he was teetering on a rock and the next he was sliding down the face of the cliff, fingers clawing for support that wasn't there. Finn didn't even have time to scream, his mouth open in shock, blue eyes huge.

Piper grunted as she felt the rope dig into her back and sides. She was leaning back as far as she could; digging her feet in to keep from sliding after. Finn was a dead weight as he came to a halt, his hands and feet trying to gain purchase in the loose surface as the gravel shifted down and away. They stayed where they were, both aware that they were in a stalemate: Finn couldn't climb up, and Piper couldn't shift her position to haul him up without overbalancing and falling herself.

"Piper? Can you hear me?" Finn's voice floated up to her.

"Yes." She said through gritted teeth.

"I'm going to untie myself, so don't be alarmed when you don't feel my weight."

Shocked, she instantly yelled, "Finn, don't be crazy, you'll be killed! We'll figure something out."

"I know I can be a little nuts," He called up. "But there is my chute. I think I can push myself away enough to open it up."

"Finn, wait! Even if you do manage to open your chute before you hit a rock and are dashed to death, or your chute gets tangled up and you plummet head long, that just means you'll be right back where you started from, in the wastelands."

"Yeah…Promise you'll wait for me? I won't be long, just a couple of days." His voice held a familiar tone of banter, but underneath it she could hear his doubt and fear. She could feel the rope jiggling.

"Finn! Finn!! WAIT!!" There was no answer. "Finn curse you, don't you dare untie that rope. I swear if you do, I, I…I'll leap off this rock right after you. And when I catch up to you I will kick your skinny little butt all the way back up here." She tightened her hands on the rope, her arms straining to lift him up. "Finn, do you hear me!!?"

"Yeah, I hear you. OK, I won't untie the rope." He called up, sounding sheepish. "Last thing I want is for you to jump after me. Just my luck you'd get hurt again and then I'd have to carry you back up. So, how do I get up there?"

Piper hadn't a clue. She was rapidly reaching exhaustion as she strained to keep her balance and hold them from tumbling off the side of the terra. Her hands were sweaty and beginning to slip on the rope.

"I'm, I'm not sure…" She gasped. "Maybe if you pushed your hands into the side, there might be solid rock."

Silence below her, and then he yelled back that there didn't seem to be anything but the loose gravel and dirt. Piper wanted to cry and it wasn't just from the sweat that was dripping into her eyes. There had to be an answer! Something - anything other than the both of them jumping into the abyss and trusting that their chutes wouldn't tangle. Hoping they'd be able to maneuver while being tied together. And worse of all to have come all this way, only to wind up right back where they started from. She could feel utter frustration building in her.

Which is why she screamed out with both fright and annoyance as she felt the rope begin to move, swinging back and forth, wider and wider.

"Finn, what in the name of Atmos are you doing? Stay still!"

"I'm trying…to swing…and catch…the underside of…the ledge…you're on" Finn's voice called back.

She instantly understood what he was trying to do. She felt a burst of adrenaline as hope rose up in her and she began to sway with him, building his momentum.

Finn swung in wider and wider arcs, hands and feet barely touching the surface, just enough pressure to propel him along. With every swing he got closer and closer to the ridges of rock that supported Piper's ledge. He couldn't believe it was working, the idea he'd had seemed unlikely, but it was the best he could come up with. He had started to rock his shoulders and hips back and forth, slowly moving faster and faster until he was swaying. Then it had been a matter of letting gravity and momentum take charge, his body the pendulum. He felt a wave of gratefulness and admiration that Piper had been able to maintain her position for so long, keeping herself braced.

Closer and closer Finn swung, his hand stretched out to grab hold of one of the ridges. Once, then twice he managed to seize at the rock, but each time his hand pulled loose. Knowing he was working against time, that Piper couldn't hold forever, he violently rocked back and forth, making himself swing farther. He forced himself not reach out and grasp at the ridge, waiting until he was in position to take a secure grip.

Piper could feel him swinging wildly. The adrenaline rush was fading and she was becoming aware of cramped hands and legs, hitched breath and woozy head, the rope an agonizing constriction around her waist. When she felt him stop, she almost fell over with relief.

"Made it! I think I can climb up from here, but I may need a helping hand. Hang in there up there, don't fade on me just yet."

As she felt the rope slacken, she quickly let go and braced herself against the wall. Feeling her head spin, she sat down and put her head between her legs. She was trembling as her body and mind calmed down, exhausted from both mental and physical anguish. Gradually she gained control and raised her head. Shifting onto her hands and knees, she crawled to the edge and looked over. Finn's blond spikes were about five feet below her. She suddenly realized that the rope was slack and began to gather it up. There was no way she could stop either of them if Finn slipped again.

As the rope pulled against his waist Finn looked up and saw Piper's face, staring down at him. He could see the tiredness in her drawn features, along with another look that took him a bit to analyze. Concern yes, but there was more to it. Anguish? Distress? He became conscious that Piper had been very frightened, not just for herself, but for him.

_Guess she cares about me more than I thought. Well, that's dumb, of course she cares about you. She cares about all of us. She's just been through a lot and my falling off the wall didn't help. Stupid, can't you keep your footing? Jeez, do I have to fall off everything?_

Finn had climbed within a couple of feet of the top, Piper pulling the rope as he rose. As he began to feel for a handhold that would allow him to get up the last remaining distance, he felt a hand grasp his wrist. He let it guide his to a secure spot and grabbed hold of the rock. As he heaved himself up he could feel Piper take hold and drag him over the edge.

Piper held him close, her arms tight around him. She could feel his rapid gasps, his heart racing in his chest. He sagged with her as he came to rest, placing his own arms around her. They clutched hard, holding tight, their heads buried in each other's shoulders. Both were very aware of how close they had come to disaster.

She was once again struck by Finn's aptitude to find a way to avert danger, but she was more aware of how much she had feared for his life. Her entire body had felt a shock go through it when he had said he was letting go of the rope. Imagined his body striking the rocks below, coming to rest in a broken, bloody heap, his blue eyes staring sightless. To never see him sauntering around the Condor again or to hear him make a smart-alecky remark, laugh at some joke or comment on his appearance. Piper could feel the tears beginning to gather in her eyes as she fully comprehended how much she would miss him. All of him - every little bit of him, each annoying, irritating, frustrating, wonderful, amazing, adorable piece of him.

She felt him shift a little, his arms loosening for a moment, only to tighten again.

She was conscious of how his body felt against hers and could feel the curve of his back, the breadth of his shoulders. His legs were spread and touching the outside of her thighs. Her skin began to tingle in every spot that was touching his. Piper was rapidly becoming overwhelmed as sensations washed over her. She had been hugged before, but never held, not like this. So close, so…intimate. This was not just a hug of friendship but of need: the need for each other to comfort and ease; to soothe and console. It was to bolster each other and give support, both physical and emotional.

She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to grab hold of his face and press her lips everywhere – cheeks, forehead, eyelids, pointy chin, down his thin nose, up his jaw, on his….lips?

_Whatever in the world? Yes I like him, appreciate him more, much more, but to want to…kiss him? On the mouth? Get a grip, girl. Yes it was scary and frightening and could have ended horribly, but it didn't. No need to get all mushy about it. And can you imagine what he'd do if you did kiss him? He'd probably throw himself back over the edge. Great storms and blizzarcanes, you have no feelings for him. And he doesn't have any for you, either. As if we'd make some sort of couple. Why, we'd kill each other. Much as I've grown to respect him more, that doesn't mean he wouldn't still drive me nuts. And I doubt he'd develop a yearning to learn all there is to know about the great Atmosian philosophers. And I have no desire to listen to his particular brand of music. Or be an adoring fan of his guitar playing. _

Piper snorted as she imagined herself wearing some skimpy thing, kneeling in front of Finn, gazing at him with adoring eyes as he cavorted on stage, his fingers making all sorts of excruciatingly loud noises scream from his 'Rock Machine'.

Finn had also been deeply aware of the girl in his arms, the way she held him tight. He had been more frightened than he wanted to admit when he had fallen, expecting both of them to do nothing more than scream as they headed toward the ground and certain death. His idea of opening his chute had been a futile one, he knew he hadn't a chance of being able to push far enough away and deploy it safely. The only reason he had suggested it was to spare Piper the same fate. It hadn't been so much her pleading with him that had made him stop, as the knot had been pulled too tight for him to loosen. He'd had no choice but to find a way to get back up, in order for him to save her.

He could feel her body shaking and wasn't sure if it was just from physical exhaustion. He thought he had heard her sniffle a couple of times. He was overcome with emotion and not just from relief. It was also from the knowledge that he wouldn't be alive if it hadn't been for her, that she had taken all of his weight and had stood there, supporting him, keeping him from falling from sheer will. He knew Piper had strength in her, especially after the training on Terra Neon. But she had gone through a lot these last couple of days and her body was not up to its normal vitality.

_Just as I am. If it wasn't for her holding me up I'd just spread out, like a burst egg yolk. We've managed to keep going from nothing more than old stale cookies, those delicious sweetstalks and some water. When I get back to the Condor I'm going to sleep for a week. In the bathtub. With the refrigerator in arms reach. And her with me. _

Finn's eyes popped open as that last thought seemed to come out of nowhere. At the same time he heard Piper snort and for a horrifying moment thought he had said everything out loud. He pulled back, relaxing his grip but still keeping his arms around her. Her gaze was amused, not condemning. He sighed with relief. He also noticed that her eyes seemed wet, as if she had been close to crying. Figuring he must either be seeing things or that she was more likely tearing up from happiness rather than from anguish he grinned at her.

"Glad to see you're glad to see me."

Piper blinked a bit, trying to compose her thoughts before she answered him. She was still struggling with the urge to show him physically how glad she was, even after the talking-to she had given herself. As she came face to face with him she was suddenly struck by his appearance.

He was dirty, his face streaked with dust and grime and sweat. His hair needed washing badly and was beginning to separate into clumps. His lips were becoming chapped and dry. And yet…

_How have I never noticed his looks before? Was I always dismissing him, because he made such a fuss over his appearance? Actually, he's not bad looking, his face is a tad narrow, his nose and chin sharp, but it's balanced by the curve of his cheek and brow. His face is actually nicely proportioned. And his eyes are very blue. The color of the sky at evening. _

Piper suddenly noticed that the owner of the face she was studying was looking back at her questioningly. Realizing that she hadn't answered him, she stuttered an answer.

"Finn! Er, um, yes, of course I'm glad to see you. I thought, I mean, for a while there, you, I, we almost…" She ground to a stop as she realized that she was rambling, unable to string two words together. Since when was she tongue-tied? "What I mean is, I am very happy you're safe. I don't know what I'd have done if…if you had, if I'd lost…" Again she stopped as her emotions threatened to add more meaning to her words than she was willing to give.

She found him regarding her with an odd look. Surely he figured she had finally lost it, the events of the last few days finally becoming too much for her. She waited for him to make some comment on how the mighty Piper had come crashing down, her mind finally at its wit's end.

Instead she sat stunned as he pressed his lips against her forehead. He lingered there just a bit longer than a friendly kiss should be. As he pulled away he gave her a gentle squeeze.

"It's ok, Piper. I'm not exactly in the best condition myself. In fact, even though there're a few more hours of daylight left, I think we need to find another shelter and collapse." Standing up he held out his hand. Piper grasped and stood as he pulled. They regarded each other for a long moment, azure eyes searching tawny gold ones, both seeking something they weren't sure of.

If either of them had spoke, they would have shared the same thought –

_Does she/he like me? More than a friend? He/she's been acting differently. I know I've been more aware of her/him lately, but is she/he feeling the same? And what happens if he/she is? Do I want to go there? I…don't know…._

As they turned and began to walk along the ledge, they became aware of two things holding them together. One was their clasped hands. The other was the rope. Each one immediately let go of the other and began to work on the knots. Then they tried each other's, with no better luck as both sets of knots had pulled tight from Finn's weight. Piper pulled her staff from where she had secured it and adjusted the settings for one of the crystals. As she aimed the stone at the knot against her stomach, she saw Finn's eyes go wide.

"Whoa, that's not the same one you started the fire with, is it?"

"Yes, but I've adjusted the strength, all it will do is separate the fibers of the rope. What? Do you really think I'm going to blast myself?" she asked a bit impatiently.

"Oh" Finn replied, feeling stupid. Of course she could regulate the crystal's energy, who but her understood their properties so well. After all she had designed and built her staff. He watched as a small burst of flame erupted from the tip, instantly separating the rope. She pointed the tip of the stone towards his waist and he stood there unmoving as she burned the knot loose. Piper bent and began to coil up the rope. As she reached the end that had been around him, he saw her look closely at the knot. He began to fidget a little, however she didn't say a word, only gave him a contemplative look from beneath her eyelashes.

As one they turned and moved on. The ledge took turns widening out so they could walk beside each other and then becoming so narrow that they had to creep along sideways, sometimes only their toes on the edge. But one thing it did do consistently was wind ever upwards. They had walked for about an hour and were just about to give in and stay the night on one of the wider parts when the wall opened up into a crevice. One in which a stream of water sprayed over the edge. Finn and Piper looked at each other, faces incredulous. Finn waited for Piper to take her Aqua stone and test the stream to see if it was drinkable. Getting the clear sign, they swiftly drank their fill. Turning they began to make their way up the narrow ravine. As they climbed they began to encounter vegetation, greener and more familiar than what had been in the little valley. Finn had just spotted a likely place to rest the night when Piper gasped.

Hastily turning to her he found he couldn't see her. She had disappeared!

Finn swung in a circle, finding no sign of her. He even looked down at the ground to see if she had fallen into a hole, but there was nothing. Just as he opened his mouth to yell for her he heard her call his name. Looking in the direction of her voice he saw her peeking out of a large bush, her face grinning.

"Catch!" she shouted, and tossed something large at him. Finn reflexively caught and found it to be a ripe skyquat. He stared at it and then back at Piper, who was still smiling at him, her mouth full from a bite she had just taken of her own fruit, the juices running down her chin. Swallowing enough so she could be understandable, she cried out enthusiastically.

"Finn! There's a bunch of these! And I think I see a stand of jelly bushes. We've got food!"

Finn's own face split into a wide grin and he brought the fruit up to his mouth. He savored for a moment its rich, ripe scent and then took a huge bite. He moaned as the sweet taste burst into his mouth. He ate the rest in about three mouthfuls. He wasted no time in joining Piper as they harvested fruit after fruit, devouring them rapidly. They soon moved off to the jelly bushes, picking the soft squishy berries and stuffing them by the handful into their starving mouths. They didn't say a word, the only noises they made were ones of ecstatic consumption. Every so often they'd look at each other, grinning around juice stained mouths. Finally they had reached their limit, their stomachs full for the first time in days. As they had run around the small grove, picking fruit from this bush or that one, they had also spotted an even better spot to take shelter. Halfway up the cliff side was a small cave that even sported a couple of skyquat bushes to one side. Finn swiftly clambered up and found it safe, with more than enough room for the two of them to stretch out.

Dropping back down he started to break off branches for another fire, but found them too green, the boughs would only bend. The two of them spent some time hunting for deadwood, eventually gathering up enough twigs, sticks and small branches to make a fairly decent blaze. They took turns delivering the wood up to the cave, Piper carrying a few larger stones to make a rock ring. As the sun began to sink, the light faded fast from the ravine. Finn filled the water bottle once more and climbed up to the shelter just as Piper lit the first group of kindling.

The two sat companionably, warmed by the fire, sticky and replete from their feast, gazing at the still blue sky above them as it darkened towards sunset. For the first time in days they felt safe and secure. The only sounds coming from the vegetation below were the splashing of the stream, the soft rustlings of leaves and the chirping buzzes of insects.

Piper was the first to stretch out, lying on her belly, head cradled in her arms. After a moment Finn did the same, their bodies separated by a few inches. Soon the little canyon was filled with another sound, as soft snores drifted from the two exhausted teens.


	8. Chapter 8

And now - the event you've all been waiting for. Well, what are you waiting for - don't just sit there - read on, faithful readers!

Chapter 8 – Found Objects

Piper woke and lay still. She had woken up chilled except for her back. Glancing around she discovered that the fire had gone out and she had moved to lie against Finn for warmth. He too, had turned toward her and they were now curled comfortably in a spoon position, his arm draped over her, his left hand tucked under her shoulder. She could feel his soft breath against the back of her neck.

As she lay there she began to become aware of every part of his body that touched, his thighs pressed against the back of hers, her left foot against his right. Her heart began to beat harder. She'd never been held like this and even though she knew he held her for warmth, rather than companionship, nevertheless she could feel heat rising through her. His weight against her was not uncomfortable, quite the opposite. His arm didn't press her down, rather it lay lightly around her, gently holding him to her. She reached up her free hand and wrapped it carefully around his wrist. Her mind replayed the last few days with him, recalling her newfound breakthrough of her thoughts of him: the way he had amazed her, amused her, cared for her. Part of it she knew was due to having to rely on each other, putting aside the non essential back biting that seemed to be part of their daily routine.

_Which is just our own way of playing, I realize that now. I think we spar back and forth because deep down we like it, both of us trying to knock each other off our perches. He's been downright remarkable in his solutions, not to mention his ability to take charge and do what's needed. He saved your life by taking out that barb, even though he had to undress you without your awareness. Some people might have figured that it would be better to get you to safety than 'dishonor' you. I've never had much patience for people who feel that honor was more important than practicality. And then when he was dangling off the cliff – maybe my words changed his mind about untying himself, but I saw that knot. There was no way he could have untied himself. And thank all the stars above that he couldn't, because he would have done it. He really would have let himself fall into the depths rather than endanger me. Anyone ever tell me he's selfish and cowardly and I'll jab 'em in the eye with my staff._

As Piper lay snug in Finn's arms, she gradually began to realize that she was smiling with a mixture of gratitude and affection, her thoughts and emotions adding up how much the young male pressed against her was worth. Once again she became aware of his physical nearness, especially as he sighed and stretched in his sleep. His arm tightened around her, then slowly loosened.

She opened her eyes and stared at the wall opposite. She'd never been an extremely impulsive person, her psyche needing the security of fact over chance. The few chances she had taken were backed up by the faith she had in her own skill and knowledge, multiplied by those of her teammates. And yet she could feel building inside her a need that pushed all intellectual thought aside. Her heart was beating so hard in her chest as to almost burst. Back and forth she fought a battle with herself, the emotional side finally getting the upper hand for once.

She gently pulled Finn's arm from around her and turned to face him. She could just make out his face in the glowing embers of the dying fire. Once again she tallied his features and willingly admitted that he really was good looking. Reaching up her hand, she began to softly stroke her bare forefinger against his cool/warm skin, tracing the curve of cheek and brow, traveling down his slim straight nose to its slightly downturned tip, skipping over his relaxed mouth to explore his sharp chin only to glide up the line of his jaw, back to where she had began. He hadn't stirred, but his eyebrows had lowered a bit and his mouth wore the faintest hint of a frown. Smiling impishly to herself, she retraced her line, only this time she didn't skip over his lips. Instead she followed the contour of the bow of his upper lip, then ran her finger along the fuller bottom. She felt his lips twitch and he opened them a little, letting out a soft sigh. As she watched him, his eyes began to move back and forth behind his lids. Giving in to the impulse that ran through her, she leaned close and kissed the tip of his nose, then gave it a tiny lick. She pulled back in time to see Finn's eyes flutter open. She almost giggled as his look of confusion turned into consternation and finally into realization. She could see his eyes searching hers, trying to comprehend if he had really just experienced what his still tingling skin said it had.

Finn stared into Piper's eyes, his mind racing. She was in his arms, facing him, smiling with a mixture of emotions he really wasn't sure he could name. His face was tingling as if something soft had just run all around it, and he was aware that she was resting her hand against the side of his face, her bare forefinger making soft circles against his temple, the rest of her fingers buried into his hair. And had he really felt his nose being kissed as he was struggling out of sleep? Was she actually looking at him not just in amusement, as if she were playing a joke on him, but in…affection? Even…desire? The look in her eyes was almost scary, it was so intense. The tawny gold eyes fairly burned into his. Finn blinked as he tried to process all the sensations that were assaulting him. Along with the overwhelming reality of waking up to find a smiling, welcoming girl in his arms, there was the physical fact of said girl - her finger lightly stroking him, her breasts against his chest, her legs pressed against his. He could feel the heat of her body and it sent an answering wave coursing through his, setting in motion a volley of physical reactions. And riding over everything was Finn's rapidly swirling thoughts as he tried to comprehend what was happening.

_She..she..she's..touching me, and she's smiling at me, and she's looking at me like, like she likes me, no, more than that. Like she…wants me. Can she – really? Does she – really? But she's Piper and I'm Finn and, and…._

Piper watched as a thousand different thoughts sparked across his face. Deciding to put an end to his debate and give him a definitive answer, she leaned forward while pulling his head to her, closing the gap between them. She felt his entire body stiffen as she kissed him, his hand grabbing her. For a minute she thought she had made the worst mistake of her life, and was just about to pull back and begin to apologize, hoping to mend this awkward situation as best she could.

The next thing she knew, Finn had wrapped his arm tight around her and was pulling her close and his lips pressed back just as firmly. She moved her hand around and placed it against the curve of his neck. Both of them simultaneously pulled tight, the kiss deepened further. Piper was vaguely aware that she had flung her leg around Finn's.

Just as suddenly they broke apart, to search each other eyes and faces as they tried to catch their breath. The two were stunned by the strength of their need, feeling excited and not a little scared.

Finn's mouth worked as he tried to utter something, anything. He had known that he was beginning to feel a stronger attachment to the attractive dark skinned girl who now was in his arms, but he'd had no idea she had felt the same way toward him. He had pretty much figured it was just hopeless infatuation, something that he'd probably work out of, especially since he'd assumed he hadn't a prayer's chance in the Murklands of her sharing the same attraction. And now? And now she was looking at him with more than just friendship, her eyes alight with a fire that glowed. And her face, that pretty face of hers which was smiling at him, her lips curved in pleasure and anticipation. As he gazed at her, his brain gave one last questioning thought, but it was quickly outvoted as he answered his own overwhelming need of her. He pulled her into another kiss, just as long and deep as the first one. Yielding to instinct he rolled over onto her.

Piper was aware that there was a center of her brain that was sending out all sorts of alarms, warning signals and frantic signs of danger. She thrust them all aside as she enthusiastically embraced not only the young male on top of her, but also the deep recesses of her mind that she had kept locked up. For the first time in her life she gave into the purely physical, allowing the long buried desires and yearnings, wants and needs to skyrocket out. She wanted this, she wanted him, she wanted to give herself to this person who had suddenly become the most desirable thing she had ever known. If a helix crystal had dropped out of the ceiling she wouldn't even have glanced at it.

They kissed for a long time, changing position only long enough to gain a better arrangement, seeking a deeper bond. Their mouths were open, tongues freely exchanged. Small noises of delight escaped from their throats. Eyes closed in rapture only to open long enough to search out the other, exchanging glances that said more than words ever could.

Abruptly Finn pushed himself up, kneeling above her. Panting he regarded the beautiful female under him. She gazed back at him adoringly, her face welcoming and her mouth open, smiling in desire. Finn suddenly realized he craved contact with her, his gloves and clothes constricting, barring him from being even that much closer to her. He ripped of his gloves, throwing them to the side, his tunic and under shirt following rapidly after. Finn wanted nothing more than to tear off the rest of his clothes, rip off hers and join madly together. Yet some faraway place stopped him, a tiny spark of sensibility. He cupped her face, pulling her to look at him. He almost lost it again at the burning desire in her eyes, but somehow forced himself to concentrate, focus.

"Piper?" he whispered, his voice husky. "Are you sure, I mean, should we, that is, I want to , but, well…." Finn stopped and closed his eyes, gathering himself, seeking out that area within him that was his own personal center of gravity. Opening them up, he regarded her with the most serious look he ever possessed. "Piper, darling, if we don't stop now, we aren't going to. And it's not that I want to stop, I don't. But I just don't want to…hurt you."

If Piper had had any doubts about her newly found feelings for the handsome young blond in front of her, they were instantly, joyously thrown aside. Even in the midst of his passion, and she had been very aware of both his mounting emotional and rousing physical needs, here he was more concerned with her than of himself. She said nothing, just placed both her hands on either side of his face and pressed her lips softly against his. She held him for a long time, then pulled back just enough to be able to form words and whispered.

"Yes."

Finn didn't have to ask what she meant. Every male fiber in his being knew without a shadow of a doubt that the female in front of him had offered herself wholly to him. He gathered her close to him, held her in a tender hug, knowing that she was the most precious, fragile thing he'd ever had.

Within moments the two youths were locked tight around each other, going farther than either one had ever thought they would go…


	9. Chapter 9

About time, don'cha think!? Anyway, let's give our new found lovers a little room to explore the situation - after all, bodies may have merged, but minds need a little tiime to take it all in...

Chapter 9 – Closer and closer...

Finn struggled to rouse himself from the afterglow and raised his head from where it was buried against the crook of her neck. He regarded his lover, his emotions awhirl with feelings of tenderness, gratitude, appreciation and a fierce need to protect her. If the slightest thing threatened her, caused her to frown, made her cry he would attack them with his bare hands, bite and claw them to pieces. He instantly vowed to die for her, kill for her, live for her….love for her.

At the same time he was aware that she was the most amazing creature in all of Atmos. There was no one as beautiful, as smart, as daring, as perfect as she was. He could hardly believe that he had been so honored as to be chosen by her. Never again would he let her down, insult her, make fun of her, tease her unmercifully. He would stand beside her forever; do anything she wanted him to do – why he'd throw his guitar out the window if she said so. Break every record he owned so it wouldn't irritate her. He'd invade Cyclonia all by himself if she mentioned the need for it, bring her the head of every Talon and lay them at her feet. Then he'd go out and dig up every crystal there ever was and sit at her feet as she explained each and every property they contained. If she got sick of him and told him to go away (and please dear gods may it never be so) he'd jump headlong into the Black Gorge, dive straight into the waiting mouth of the tarbeast, just so she'd never be bothered by him again.

He was hers, body, mind and soul.

_How could I have been so blind? So incredibly stupid. You complete and utter moron, here you've been going on and on about wanting some cheap babe-ette, when there was this right in front of you all the time. All I ever wanted was to be fawned over by a bunch of girls and completely disregarded what a wonder she is. I'm deeply, utterly, head-over-heels, run up to the top of the highest mountain on Atmos and shout it out to the world in love with her. Piper! I'm in love with Piper! Look at her! She's gorgeous! They say first times are supposed to be awesome, but this…Waaayyy more than I even dreamed of. _

He grinned down at the drowsing girl, every inch of him aware of the slightest sensation emanating from her. He suddenly was conscious that he could make out her features and realized that it was morning, the sun's rays streaming into the ravine. He regarded the light with irritation. He had wanted the night to last forever, to lie with her, to join with her again and again. He heaved a huge sigh.

Piper was floating. She was deeply aware of both herself and the weight of her lover above her. Not for anything in the world did she want to disturb this, cause him to move, break the connection. She wanted to lay here forever, feel his skin against hers, the beat of his heart, the movement of his chest as he breathed. She was conscious that he was awake, knew instinctively that he was regarding her, memorizing her features.

_Him. Of all the ones I could have possibly picked, it ended up being him. And now that it is, I can't imagine it being anyone else. For so long I only thought of him as an irritating child, disregarding his true nature. For someone who likes a puzzle, you sure overlooked this one. Here he's been right in front of you and you've never noticed him till now. Well I've noticed him now and I'm not going to let him out of my sight. Nobody's going to be more of a fan than I am. I'd die for him. Kill to protect him. I love him more than anything, even my crystals. Well, maybe…No. I do love him more. I don't need to impress him with my knowledge. I just have to love him. Be there for him. Just as I know he'll be there for me. Wow. I am never going to be alone. That's….so comforting. And talk about comforting; just feel how he's holding me. So tenderly as if I were the most fragile of things. How could I have been so dismissive of him? Sometimes I can be sooo dim._

Opening her eyes she smiled as she found him looking at her, studying her. He returned the smile, his intense azure irises brightening as he regarded her fondly. He felt her shift below him and realized that he had been lying fully upon her. He started to rise, stammering out an apology only to stop as both her arms and legs surrounded him. She shook her head no and gave him a slow smile.

"You're not heavy, you feel good. Really good."

He returned her look and jerked his head towards the entrance. "It's daylight outside." He stated.

Piper craned her head back. She stuck her tongue out at the world outside their sanctuary. "Good for it."

Finn started to grin, then laugh, his body bouncing up and down on her.

"Yeah, I don't want to go anywhere either."

They contemplated each other, both thinking the implications of staying where they were for the rest of their lives. They had plenty of food and water, and with a little work could make a real home out of the cave they were in. They could stay in this paradise forever, making love day, night, morning, afternoon, straight up noon, just before sunrise, during and right after as well. And not just in the cave either but down by the stream, under one of the bushes, climb up to the surface and do it right out in the open if they so desired. To heck with everything and everybody. Storm Hawks – who were they? Sky Knight – what was that and why should they care? The war with Cyclonia – let it rage on without them.

Even as they read the same thoughts in each other's eyes, they both knew it wouldn't be. They had too much of a sense of obligation to just run away, hide from the world. There was no way either of them could abandon their friends, allow them to face danger and not be there to help.

As attuned to each other as they were, their eyes opened wide as they realized that they had changed the makeup of their group.

"Oh man, what are we going to tell…." Finn began.

"What are we going to say to them…" Piper announced.

"Do we?"

"Maybe we shouldn't…"

"But how can we keep this to ourselves?"

"I don't know, I need you so bad."

"Me, too."

"Then we have to tell them."

Okaaayyyy" Finn sighed. "Let's think on this a bit. Um, Junko I think will be fine with this, if it makes us happy, then he'll be happy. Stork, heh, he'll think we've become infected with some kind of mind altering disease and try to spray us with some noxious chemical bath, but he'd eventually come around, though I'm sure he'll always mutter about some impending doom. He always does. Aerrow…."

They both gazed at each other, their expressions concerned.

Piper looked away, biting her lip. She had often wondered if the red-headed Sky Knight had liked her more than just a friend, but had either been afraid of approaching her, or had kept his feelings to himself so as to protect her. They were more alike and she both admired and respected the young leader. But now - now that she had found Finn, she realized that what she had felt for Aerrow had been a crush, much as one had on a friend's older brother. She realized that all though they would probably have ended up loving each other deeply, it never would be as intense as it was with Finn. Finn's very nature held the one element she realized she needed. Surprise. She who constantly craved intellectual stimulation had found a veritable well of it. Finn was never the same from one minute to the next. What she had once thought the most aggravating thing in the world had been turned one hundred and eighty degrees around, stood on end and inside out. He fascinated her, delighted her, made her delve into him with an intensity she had only given to books and maps. He had more facets to him than the most refined crystal. Every surface showed her something new.

As Finn studied her he at first frowned, but as he read the emotions flitting across her face he slowly began to relax, his confidence level rising to its normal height. He too thought that Aerrow probably unconsciously liked the attractive navigator and that if his best friend ever stopped his all encompassing mission to look at her, he'd take her as swiftly as he attacked a foe. Aerrow would've grabbed hold and never let go. Finn felt a stab of hurt as he contemplated what his and Piper's relationship might do to his buddy. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was cause his friend and leader any pain, but at the same time there was no way he'd ever let Piper go. Perhaps it would be better if they kept this to themselves, hide their new found passion from prying eyes. After all, this was theirs, not anybody else's. Why shouldn't they keep it secret?

He opened his mouth to tell her so. "Babe, why don't we just keep this under cover, feel the others out and see what their reaction would be if either one of us were to get, you know - romantically attached with someone."

"Finn." She sighed. "That's all well and good, but we're not talking about just any 'someone'. We're talking about each other. And no matter what we do, it is going to change things. It already has. I will never look at you the same way again, and not only do I not want to hide it, I don't think I can. They are bound to notice us. Even now, having a serious conversation, I can feel your body on mine and I'm really having a hard time keeping focus. How are we going to maintain even a semblance of normality if just being close to each other is going to set us off?"

Finn tried to answer her but his mind had seized on one sentence of her statement. As soon as she said it, he was instantly, deeply, incredibly, intimately aware of her lying beneath him. They stopped talking and used their mouths for other purposes. It wasn't long before hands and arms and legs and bodies bacame involved as well..


	10. Chapter 10

They've gotten much, much closer, but still need to think a few things through before they really become one...

Besides, we don't really want them to leave just yet, do we?

Chapter 10 - Twogether

They lay there for a long time, waiting for hearts and lungs to calm. Finn's stomach suddenly growled so loud that both of them jumped. Raising his head from where it lay on her shoulder Finn looked laughingly at his amused lover.

"Guess you're not the only thing I'm hungry for." He joked.

She laughed and pushed at him, her face pulled down in a mock pout. "Fine, fine, go ahead, find other pleasures. But you'll see, won't be long before you'll be crawling back to me on your hands and feet, begging me to take you in."

Finn laughed heartily and then took the tip of her charming nose between his forefinger and thumb. Giving it a tiny tweak he lowered his voice and claimed "Hah, my little beauty, it is you who will whine and cry out for me, hungering to be filled with more than just bread and water. You can't live without me and you know it." He smirked, raising and lowering his eyebrows rapidly.

She retaliated by reaching back and giving him a hard pinch on his rump. Finn yelped and rolled off of her, yelling that he was being attacked and would no-one save him. Finding the first thing she could she threw one of her boots at him, which he quickly caught.

"Oh ho, giving me the boot are you? Well, I know when I'm not wanted." With a yell he ran out of the cave and jumped over the edge. Piper scrambled to her feet and raced to the entrance, half expecting to see him crumpled on the ground after breaking his leg or neck after doing such a fool headed stunt. Instead she caught just a glimpse of his bare back side as he plunged into the grove of skyquats.

"You silly idiot, there's skyquat bushes right here, remember?" she yelled after him.

Finn's blond head poked back out of the bushes, his face morose. "Oops. I did forget. Guess I was too caught up in the moment. Got to admit though, that was a pretty impressive feat." He grinned winningly.

Years ago she would have dismissed him, pointed out how stupid that was and when was he ever going to show some sense. Now she grinned right back at him, her whole body infused with joy at the antics of her silly, nutty, impulsive, gorgeous young man.

"Hey toss me the water bottle, might as well make the trip useful." He called up. She turned and quickly located the bottle and started to throw it at him. Her face quirked into an impish look and drawing back her arm she threw the bottle way over his head.

"Heyyyy!!!" he exclaimed.

She giggled and stuck her thumbs into her ears, waggling the fingers back and forth. She stuck out her tongue and made a blbbbllllting noise. Finn stood up straight and put his hands on his hips, his face set in a stern expression. "Well we'll just see about that, little missy. You wait till I get back and give you what's coming to you."

She called after him, "I certainly hope so!!"

He turned and grinned back at her over his shoulder, crossing the stream on his way to pick up the errant water bottle.

_Man is this really Piper? I've never known her to be this silly. I know she can joke and play around, but it's like more than just her clothes came off. If I didn't know better, I'd swear she was a totally different person. As conceited as I can be sometimes I sure would like to think it was all me doing this to her. But not to put too fine of a point on it, what else could it be?_

He suddenly came to a halt as a horrifying thought occurred to him. What if this wasn't really Piper? What if her brain had gotten scrambled in the crash and this was somebody else, a part of her that had taken over. And what if the real Piper came back? She'd throw more than a boot at him.

And yet, his brain hadn't gotten scrambled. At least as far as he knew. And his feelings had changed toward her, finding that he felt way more for her than he realized he could. He had slowly over the last few days began to see in her more than he admitted. She too had shown signs of becoming conscious of him in a whole new way. She hadn't just turned and jumped him out of the blue.

And so this could really be real, she really could find him to be adorable and funny and amazing and handsome and desirable and..

And everything he had ever told himself he was. Only this was different. Wayyy different. This wasn't just an affirming of his ego, no sir. This was uplifting and honest and heart wrenchingly sincere. She loved him with her heart and mind and soul. Finn stood shocked to the very core of his being as he felt something deep inside him unwind. The frenetic spring he had kept coiled inside him loosened. Stunned, he knew he'd been given something he hadn't even known he'd needed. Pure love. Not adoration. Not some bubble headed girl mouthing complements, pretending to like him for whatever reason. A real live person, with thoughts of her own and a mind of her own and a will of her own that for a miraculous reality had tied them to his. Finn didn't know whether to shout his thanks up to the sky or get on his knees and cry. He settled for picking up the water bottle and walking back to where that beautiful, wondrous person was waiting. For him.

Piper watched him walk over to where she had playfully tossed the bottle and admired his slim lithe form. He'd never be muscle bound, having the physiology that would always be on the thin side, but she didn't mind. His chest may not be large, but was tight and firm, the muscles in his back, arms and thighs strong and he really did have a cute little butt. And his other parts were just right, too. She sighed with pleasure and turned back to survey the inside of their shelter. The floor was strewn with their cast off clothes, tossed willy-nilly here and there. Shaking her head she gave in to her organizational self and began to straighten up. She gathered each set of clothes and folded them neatly, placing them in two piles side by side, standing their weapons over each. Turning she scattered the ashes of the now dead fire and laid the foundation for a fresh blaze. Easily starting it with a quick blast, she walked over to the nearby fruit bushes and picked a half dozen. Returning to the fire she sat down and arranged the food on a small semi circle. Just as she finished she heard him climbing back up and looked just in time to see first one, then the other hand grip the edge. She giggled as his head popped up, the top of the bottle held in his clenched teeth. Catching her eye he grinned good-naturedly. He easily rolled up and over, stood and brushed himself off.

He walked over to where she sat and plopped down beside her. He started to pick up a skyquat but was stopped when her hand gripped his wrist with firm yet gentle pressure. She removed the fruit and took a bite. Finn looked into a pair of playful eyes and watched with interest as she stuck the piece just far enough out of her mouth and bent forward a little. Finn's own eyes lit up with answering glee and he leaned forward, opening his mouth and took the bite from her. He chewed and swallowed as she took another bite and held it again out to him. This time he pressed his lips against hers as he took the offering. Slowly the fruit disappeared bit by bit. When there was no more she wordlessly handed him another fruit, at which he then took a bite and held it to her. The only thing that touched each time was the feathery soft brushing of lips and the gentle air of breath. As they passed the morsel from one to the other they memorized each other's irises, gazing deeply into sparkling eyes. It took a long time to consume the six skyquats, but they were in no hurry. Finishing they took the left over cores and tossed them over the edge. Finn reached out his arm and put it around her waist, pulling her close. She nestled against him and laid her head on his shoulder. The sat for a long time just enjoying each other's closeness.

Piper didn't want to disturb the level of comfort, but her sense of responsibility nagged and poked at her until she had to give in. She heaved a sigh and shifted a little in his arms. Finn caught her mood and looked down at her with concern.

"What is it babe, something wrong?"

"Nooo… not wrong in the sense of the word, just…" She swallowed. "Oh, Finn, what are we going to do?"

"Oh."

They sat in silence, each one trying to find a solution to a troubling situation.

"Basically Finn, it comes down to two things. Do we tell them or not? Do we let them know up front or wait until they guess it?" She straightened enough to look up at him. "Honestly, I don't know how I'll be able to hide the way I feel about you. They may not know right away how seriously committed to each other we are, but they'll notice something. How much they'll figure out is anybody's guess."

Finn stared unseeingly out the entrance. "Right… If we tell them up front, then we go through the whole convincing thing, yes it's really true, yes she loves me, yes I love her too, get used to us kissing, blah blah blah. Plus we have to deal with the whole change of the makeup of the team. Like you said, things will change, but just by how much?" He frowned and shook his head.

"But if we don't tell them," He continued. "then we run the risk of being discovered. You're right, no way I can hide the way I feel about you either, and it's gonna be reeeaaal hard standing close to you and not be able to touch you, show you how I feel. Not that I don't know you know how I feel, but we wouldn't even be able to give a comforting hug, let alone hold hands, never mind kissing."

Finn sighed and Piper nodded morosely.

"Which would mean sneaking around." She suggested half heartedly.

"Yeah, but how many times can you and I clean the storeroom or for you to need my help in the lab? And it's not like we can go out on recon missions, cause you and I do that alllll the time." He said sarcastically. "So that leaves sneaking into each other's rooms at night and can you imagine how awkward THAT will be when we get caught? Yeah, that'd work, alright."

Piper growled in frustration, knowing there was no way they'd be able to keep away from each other. And as big as the Condor was, there really weren't many areas that were private. Their rooms and the bathroom were about it and the way those were laid out, they were too close for comfort to the others. Either they would have to be incredibly quiet or find some impossible reason to go off together. That might work once or twice, but every few hours? Each and every day? No, they'd not be suspected at all.

"So we tell them." She stated.

Finn made a noncommittal noise and shrugged.

"Don't you want people to know about us?" She asked, pulling from him and giving him a hard look.

Finn's eyes went wide. "No, I mean yes, I mean….." He stopped and gathered himself, starting over. He reached for her and laid his arm comfortingly around her shoulder. "Of course I want people to know, I want the whole world to know, it's just – I guess I want this to be ours for a little while longer. Only you and me and nobody else. I want to put a giant 'keep out' sign up and forget the world exists for a while, just stay here and be together."

Seeing her relax, he continued. "And we will tell them, together. When the time is right. Trust me, I want to shout it out, but I'm just a little uncomfortable with blurting it out. Maybe that would be the right way, but it just doesn't seem like it." He gave her an appraising look. "After all, as far as the world is concerned, you and me would have been the last people on Atmos to fall in love together. We don't want to shock our friends into falling over dead." He laughed, Piper joining in.

Finn began to nod happily. "Yup. So the real question is not do we tell them, but when. Not right away, we don't want to throw them into a tizzy. But not too long or we'll both go nuts and end up flinging our clothes off in front of them and doing it on the command table."

They both snorted and giggled over that particular image.

"Can..can you imagine..the look on..Stork's face…" Finn choked out. "He'd be running around trying to find every disinfectant and repellent he could lay his hands on."

"And Junko! How long…do you..think it would take…for him to realize…what we were doing?" Finn gasped. "Oh my, the poor guy! I can see his face now, he'd be…scratching his head and wondering… why we were wrestling on the…the table…hooo haaaaa!!"

Piper grabbed at her ribs and laughed hysterically. "Can you hear him? 'Aerrow…that looks like fun, should we join them?' Waahh ah haha!!"

Finn lost it. He rolled around the floor in glee, drumming his fists into the floor, tears running down his face. They would recover composure only to look at each other and collapse into convulsions.

Finally Piper managed to regain her sanity. Finn crawled over to her, sat up and pulled her to him, his body shaking every so often. Piper turned to him with a look in her eye he knew well. It was the look she got when designing out one of her plans. He reached out a finger and placed it gently on her lips. Shaking his head he regarded her lovingly.

"No babe. We could discuss this for days and we're never going to be able to cover all contingencies. We'll just have to trust each other and know when the time is right. Things will work out right. You'll see. Trust your Finn, he knows."

Piper hesitated. There was a time when she would have dismissed his particular brand of thinking, his ability to let things be, to take them as they came. A part of her found the very prospect exceedingly scary, similar to taking a step into a dark chasm on the rumor that there was a safety net. And yet… he'd managed to survive up to now. And it wasn't as if she couldn't think things through on her own. Not that she'd initiate anything by herself, storms no. They were partners now; she would never go behind him or hide things from him. But he wasn't dumb (how could she have ever thought that) and she would share her ideas with him, build upon them with his own thoughts. She returned his look with one of her own, agreeing with him.

Finn totally grasped the gift he had just been given. She had not only agreed with him, but had suppressed her natural inclination to take charge, map out every pathway. For a second his mind flashed on his earlier theory of her being out of her mind. Dismissing it with a shake he grinned to himself. Boy, when she committed to something, it was complete, no questions asked.

_Not that she's going to suddenly become this shrinking violet. I wouldn't want her to. I admire her fire, her stubbornness. And she's a heck of a lot smarter than you. She's got knowledge stored in that amazing brain you haven't got a clue about. So let her lecture you, you might even learn something for a change._

"I promise, we'll talk about this some more later. Cause I don't know about you, but there's a time for talking and then there's a time for doing. If you know what I mean.." He said - his voice lowering.

Piper looked at him brightly. "Absolutely!" she agreed. She stood up, avoiding him as he reached for her. She walked over to her pile of clothes and shook out her tunic. Speaking to him with her back turned, she made to put on her clothes. "We really need to get going, the day's getting late." She turned to him with her arms inside the shirt and gazed uncomprehendingly at his look of incredulous confusion.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"That's not… that's not what I meant!" Finn yelped.

Piper continued to look at him questioningly. "I don't understand, aren't your ready to leave?"

"No I'm not ready to leave, didn't we just say we wanted to stay here and be together and…" Finn pulled his breath in as he realized that she had pulled one over on him again. He was going to have a little trouble getting used to this new Piper. This was going to be fun.

Piper grinned wildly as she realized that he had seen through her. She loved to tease him and looked forward to doing so many more times. Dropping her shirt to the floor she turned back to him. And tried to side step as he launched himself at her. Growling he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her high. Piper rained quick, strengthless blows down upon his head and shoulders. He let her slide down and they regarded each other for a while, grins fading away as arousal deepened. He carried her back toward the fire, lay her down and stretched out beside her. They continued to look at each other, tracing every aspect of each other's face with their eyes. They'd dream of each other with no problem, see each other as easily as if standing next to them, hear their voices as if the speaker was right there.

As Finn drank her in, he was disturbed by a low, faraway growl. He suddenly realized that the bright sunshine had dulled. Bending forward enough to look out, he could see a small sliver of sky, dark with approaching storm clouds that fully banished any nagging idea of having to leave. After all they couldn't very well leave if it was going to rain, now could they? They shared a conspiratorial grin.

Piper glanced over her shoulder at the world framed by the entrance of the confines of their snug shelter but was aware that Finn was still gazing at her, his face contemplative. She felt the corners of her mouth lift and she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She saw him lick his lips and she turned toward him. His eyes had darkened and the pupils enlarged as he intensely stared at her. As one they leaned together, mouths seeking and finding the target. They kissed gently, mouths barely open, pressing their lips together again and again, the tips of their tongues scarcely meeting. Their hands roamed over backs and shoulders, up and down arms and sides, cupped the back of necks and ran through hair. Fingers brushed and stroked ears, ribs, elbows and the small of backs. At one point Finn ran his hand down her arm and placed his palm against hers, fingers interlocking. They unhurriedly kissed for a long time as the sky turned darker still and the distant thunder grew closer.

Pulling his head back Finn looked at her for a long while, then he leaned back, drawing her with him. She lay on his chest and they began to kiss some more, a little deeper this time and their hands were not quite as gentle. He placed his hands on either side of her head and pulled her into a hard kiss, his tongue thrusting deep. It was her turn to moan with pleasure.

They jumped in alarm as a loud rumbling boom shook the cave. Both looked out the entrance to see the air had turned very dark. A spattering of rain came down briefly. Gusts of wind were beginning to blow into the cave, stirring the fire and scattering ashes.

Piper looked at Finn and smiled mischievously. "Wow, if you can do that with just a kiss, I can't wait for what will come next."

Finn chuckled and leered at her. "Just wait, little girl, gonna rock your socks off."

"Umm, Finn – they already are."

Finn looked at her slightly irritated face and frowned. "You know what I – wait a minute – why you…" he said as he caught the carefully hidden look of mirth in her eyes. He grabbed her about the waist and rolled her over, pinning her down. He quickly sought her ribs and began to tickle her. Piper squealed and tried to writhe out from under him, but he had too firm a grip, his legs tight around hers. She cried out sternly to stop and began to hit him with her fists, but she couldn't help but laugh.

Finn tickled her just enough to get her breathless, then sat up and held his hands over his head. "And the winner…OOOF" he exclaimed as she poked him sharply in each side.

"Moron." Many times in the past she had called him that, but never so endearingly.

Finn bent forward to kiss her. They began to make slow sweet love as the rain poured down.


	11. Chapter 11

Oh, poo, the last chapter...

Of course I could keep them in the cave for the rest of eternity, but these two do have to face the world eventually.

This chapter starts with a bang, so hold on tight, our two are going on quite the ride.

Chapter 11 – Three little words

Finn took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had never been so happy. And it wasn't just about the sex either, although it was the most amazing, wondrous thing ever. It was having the most amazing, wondrous sex ever with the most amazing wondrous person ever. He could feel her stroking his back gently, her hands making small circles. He could easily fall asleep. He let his mind drift, allowing himself to sink deeper into a state of bliss.

Except…something was bothering him. The thought of telling the others? No, that wasn't it. That Piper of all people loved him? Nah, that wasn't it either. Finn struggled to concentrate as his subconscious kept trying to warn him of something. A sound, that's what it was. A surging, roaring noise of…

Water.

Finn jerked awake and pushed himself off Piper, ignoring her look of surprise. He moved rapidly to the edge of their cave and gasped. The little stream had turned into a rushing torrent of water, bursting its banks. As he watched the water began to widen until it had reached both sides of the small ravine.

Turning back around Finn leaped for his clothes. "Hurry babe, we've got to go!"

Piper didn't hesitate, grabbing her own clothes and quickly donning them. Securing her carryall bag around her shoulders she took hold of her staff and stepped up to the ledge. Finn joined her and stared out. In the short time they had taken getting dressed, the water had risen until it was halfway up the side of the wall. The rushing water was now over the tops of the bushes and small branches were being torn off and flung along at breakneck speed.

Both of them stood there trying to find a way out of this new predicament. The walls on either side of their enclosure were sheer, the overhang too far up to grab onto. And there was no way they could make it through the torrent to the other side. Finn gazed across the expanse, staring up.

Piper glanced here and there, seeking a way to safety. She wondered if the rope would be long enough to throw across, but how to anchor it? As she contemplated, she took out the rope and unwound it, hoping to come up with a solution and fast.

"Perfect! Here, hand me that!" Finn shouted. She turned to see him holding out his hand. She instantly held out the one end. Finn had taken a bolt out of his crossbow and tied the rope to it, then carefully loaded it, making sure the rope was in position not to tangle.

"Finn?" Piper questioned.

"Up there, see it? A small notch. If I can hit it, we can swing across, climb up. Wish me luck." As he spoke, Finn had raised his weapon and took aim. Piper grabbed hold of the rope's other end and held tight, wrapping it once around her wrist.

Finn squeezed the trigger and let the bolt fly. To the untrained eye it would have seemed to go too high, but as it flew, it arced up and out, the bolt flying just over the tiny crevice at the top of the opposite ledge. Piper leaned as far out as she could to allow the rope to play out. As the bolt landed unseen, the rope lay right inside the crevice. Piper exchanged a congratulatory grin with the not-so-humble blond and pulled back on the rope. The bolt slid down and jammed against the crevice. Both of them pulled back hard, making sure it was secure.

Finn took hold of the rope and wrapped it around his arm only to look at Piper questioningly as she grabbed him.

"Wait, Finn, I have an idea. This will help us stay steady." Piper grabbed the end of the rope and tied it around the center of her staff. "There, we can stand on this and keep our balance."

He grinned at her. "Anybody tell you you're smart?"

She smiled back at him and put one foot on her side of the staff, Finn doing the same on his side. They each grabbed hold of the rope in one hand and put the other around their partner's waists.

"Ready?" Finn asked.

Piper leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "For luck. Ready."

"GO!!!"

The leaped off the ledge and swung forward. They hadn't gone far before their legs came in contact with the swirling water. Within moments they were hanging on tight as the strength of the rain swollen stream threatened to tear them off their precarious hold and sweep them down and out of the ravine, to go tumbling down into the far wasteland. There would be no climbing back up.

The only thing that kept them stable was Piper's staff, their feet pressing against it as their bodies twirled in circles, their heads barely above the water. Slowly, gradually they began to climb up the rope as first one, then the other took turns letting go, only to latch on a few inches higher. Their other hands clutched hard at waists, arms tight around each other.

It was agonizing. Even though they knew they were closing the gap, they weren't getting any further out of the water. Not until they were directly under the small crevice that held the rope so securely (and they hoped would stay secure), did they finally begin to rise up the wall. First shoulders, and then their chests cleared the grip of the water. Looking up they realized that they were only within a few feet of the top.

Climbing with renewed energy, they pulled each other along until they finally reached the crevice. There was a brief hesitation as Finn tried to get Piper to go first.

"No Finn, you go, then you can help haul me up. Don't argue, just go."

He scowled a little but let go of Piper and used both hands to pull himself up and over. Quickly turning around he grabbed hold of the rope to pull her up to safety. A movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

Finn could only gasp in horror as a large tree swept towards them, its roots reaching out like many fingered hands. It slammed into the wall just ahead of Piper. Then it was his turn to hold onto the rope as it was almost yanked out of his grasp, his turn to pull back with all his strength, his turn to brace himself. His arms screamed with burning agony as they felt like they were going to be pulled out of their sockets and the rope bit painfully into his hands.

He howled. He screamed out his fear and despair, cursed everything and anything, implored whatever would listen. He reached for and found one last nugget of strength and somehow took one shaky step after another backwards. The only thing that kept him from the darkest depths of hopelessness was the weight that still hung from the rope. Please let it be her, please let her be alright, please let her hang on just a little longer, please let him pull her up. He couldn't lose her, not now. Not when he'd just found her.

So intent was he that it took him a moment to realize that other hands than his were on the rope, pulling with him. He heard a voice behind him.

"Keep pullin' boy, we've just about got her."

Finn wasn't about to not keep pullin'.

Suddenly the pressure released. Finn shrieked with dismay and then instantly shrieked with glee as Piper popped over the ledge. Releasing the rope he dropped to his knees and gathered her close. His emotions turned once again a hundred and eighty degrees as he perceived her unresponsive state.

Flipping her over, he tilted her head back, squeezed her nose shut and covered her mouth with his, blowing hard. He repeated the maneuver three times, then leaned back and turned her head to one side. Placing his hands just under her ribs, he pressed down, noting with satisfaction as water ran out of her nose and mouth. Then he repeated blowing his breath into her. As he did so he once more found himself alternating between cursing the fates and begging them for help.

The tiniest of coughs stopped him. Then Piper gave a choking gasp and the next thing he knew she was coughing and gagging and struggling to rise and he had grabbed her, pulling her up, his hand rubbing at her back. Finn was laughing and crying at the same time, he was so happy and relieved.

Gradually Piper's paroxysms slowed until she was breathing normally except for a small cough or two. Her eyelids fluttered and then she stared up at him. Finn grinned back at her. Her eyes sought his and then looked over his shoulder.

Finn suddenly remembered the pair of helping hands. Twisting around, he looked at a grizzled man, his face hidden by a large growth of whiskers that hung halfway down his chest. The man's eyes were brown and looked back at him quizzically. The thick grey beard split in two to reveal a nearly toothless grin.

"Almost done ya in, there, but safe and sound ya are, the both of ya. Was a mite worried there for a bit, wasn't sure ya was gonna get out of there on time. Was away on ta other side when the storm hit, otherwise wudda got here sooner."

Finn stared at the man, then exchanged perplexed looks with Piper. She shook her head and shrugged. Finn looked back at the man.

"Umm, excuse me, but how did you know we were there?"

The old man leered at them and gestured behind him. "Cabin's right there, heard the two of ya last night and this mornin', haven't exactly been quiet, ya know."

Both Finn and Piper's eyes went wide and they reddened. They suddenly couldn't meet the man's gaze as he chuckled.

"Now, now, don't you two young-un's get into a tizzy over it. Was quite the young buck myself, back in the day." He nudged Finn's ribs with a not so gentle finger. "Course, didn't ever have such a pretty little thing like that, ya lucky dog."

Finn wasn't sure if he should scowl at the man or grin in male acknowledgement. Deciding to look noncommittal, he gave a shrug instead.

Piper decided to take things into her own hands before it devolved into some sort of male self congratulation party. Getting to her knees she attempted to stand up. Finn was instantly on his feet giving her assistance. She stood and swayed a bit, leaning against him.

"Easy, babe, take it easy. You okay?"

She nodded, her head woozy and her legs feeling like rubber.

The old man had risen to his feet as well and gestured toward his cabin, two sides of it visible on the edge of the nearby woods. "Come along young'uns. Get ya inside where it's nice and warm, get ya dried up and some grub into ya."

Piper nodded weakly and took a couple of steps. Suddenly she stopped and turned. "Finn, my staff…" she croaked out, her voice husky.

Finn reached down and grabbed at the crossbolt that was still stuck tight in the small crevice. He quickly hauled up the rope and with it her weapon. Piper grinned ecstatically and took hold of it.

As they turned away from the edge she swayed a bit and Finn supported her as they walked along, even though he felt as if he could sink down and become one with the ground. He'd never felt so tired. Even though the old guy's cabin wasn't far, it still seemed like they had travelled miles until they reached the door.

The old man hustled in front of them, turning on a crystal lamp and then pulling out a chair, making a half hearted attempt to brush it off. Finn gently lowered Piper onto it and then leaned against the table.

"Now you two just set a spell there, rest up while I make something to eat. Get your strength back into ya." The old man remarked as he moved about the small room. That was made even smaller by the sheer amount of stuff inside it.

Finn and Piper gazed in awe as they found themselves surrounded by several piles of…things. There was so much stuff that they couldn't even begin to identify it. Every surface was piled high, the floor had stacks of things so that there was trails that led from front door to the table at which they sat to the sink the man was standing in front of. If there were counters or even other furniture, they couldn't see any from the heaps that seemed on the verge of teetering over. Even the walls were lined with stuff, and more things dangled from the low ceiling.

"You a….collector?" Finn asked.

"What's that now, oh, no, I'm a prospector. All this is in case I need it, emergency ya know. Good thing to have in hand, not like I can pop on down to the nearest wayside, being out in the middle of nowhere, like."

Both teens wondered how the man could find anything he would need, the unidentifiable things were so haphazardly placed. Finn tried to find a bed, but there didn't seem to be anything but piles of stuff. As they sat there, they suddenly became aware of the smells of food cooking. Both of them were instantly ravenous. As such, they only looked at the plates that the man thrust in front of them with acceptance. The bacon and eggs were swimming in grease, and the utensils were none too clean.

It was the best food they'd ever eaten.

The old man cackled as he watched them eat. "Figured you'd be a bit on the hungry side, especially with all your activities."

Finn and Piper blushed.

Deciding to change the subject, Piper addressed the old prospector. "Say, do you have a radio? We got separated from our friends and would like to let them know we're okay, and where we are."

The old man nodded rapidly. "Yup, sure do. You two young'uns stay here, got to go warm it up. The radio tower's on the other side of the terra, don't use it too often." Seconds later, the man was gone. Finn and Piper sat at the table, looking at all the stuff.

"Kind of an old coot, ain't he?" Finn said.

"Mmm, wonder how long he's been on his own?"

Finn shrugged. "From the look of him, probably forever. I mean, just look at this place. Junko'd go crazy, there's so much stuff around." His blue eyes roamed over the room, trying to sort the items into anything recognizable.

"Stork would probably faint from all the things that might be infectious." Piper chimed in.

Smiling back at her, Finn began to notice that the room smelled very musty. "Come on, let's go outside, I need some fresh air."

Piper stood up, her legs no longer shaky. Even still, she didn't refuse Finn's arm as he gallantly offered it to her. Stepping outside, the two observed that the storm clouds were breaking up, sunlight beginning to shine down. Finding a bench nearby they walked over and sat side by side.

After looking around to make sure the old prospector wasn't lurking about, Finn leaned over and gave Piper a kiss. She instantly responded and they wrapped their arms around each other.

Coming up for air, Piper was the first to speak.

"Thanks Finn. You saved my life, again."

"You're welcome, again." He replied smugly. Then his face sobered. "I…I almost thought I was going to lose you…"

"Shhh. You're not going to get rid of me that easy." She replied, and although her lips smiled, her eyes still held a look of anxiety. _Go on – say it. You know how you feel. And you know how he feels…_ "Finn, I was scared too. The thought of loosing you, what we have… I don't care what happens, I love you. You hear? And I want everyone to know." _There, I said it!_

"Me too. I realized that, when I thought you had been swept away, this is too special, too wonderful to hide away. Piper…I love you, too." _Wow – that wasn't as hard as I thought it was._

They stared into each other's eyes, each one's heart soaring. Three days ago they would have laughed uproariously if anyone had ever suggested that the Navigator and the Sharpshooter would have, could have fallen in love with each other. Now it was the most natural thing in the world.

They leaned forward to seal their conviction with a kiss, only to pull back as the old man burst into the clearing.

"Radio's up and runnin', come on inside, call whoever ya want."

Standing up they followed him back into the cabin, where after searching for a few minutes, the old prospector finally located the radio controls.

Piper dialed in the settings and then held down the button. "Storm Hawks come in, do you read. This is Piper and Finn, calling the Storm Hawks."

Static.

"Do you read Storm Hawks? This is Piper and Finn calling, come in."

Static again.

They exchanged a look of concern and puzzlement. Finn started to take hold of the reciever to try himself.

"Piper!!? Finn!!? You guy's there? You ok? This is Aerrow, come in!"

"Aerrow!!!" Finn shouted. "We're here, we're ok, we're fine! Where are you, can you zero in on us?"

"Roger that Finn, Stork's setting the heading now. Looks like we'll be there in about a half an hour. Hang tight! Man it's good to hear your voices again. We were worried. We've looked all over for you guys, but couldn't find you. Seeing these coordinates, can see why, you were a hundred clicks from where we thought you'd be."

Both Finn and Piper could hear the relief in Aerrow's voice, and could also catch Junko's ecstatic yells in the background.

Piper leaned toward the mike. "We'll be waiting, Aerrow."

"We're coming as fast as we can!" He replied.

Finn replaced the receiver and grinned. Soon they would be back among their friends again. He turned toward Piper and smiled. She gazed back at him and smiled just as happily. They walked outside, the sky clear and sunny.

The two young lovers walked arm and arm toward the nearest hill and stood waiting. Both of them were intimately aware of the other in a way they had never been before. They had withstood adversity and had come out as one, relying on each other's strengths to persevere. They knew that they would never have survived without the other, and along the way had uncovered truths they hadn't suspected. They had faced long odds and won, won big. The future gleamed in front of them and they were going to go forward together, no matter what.

As such, when the Condor landed in front of them, they didn't bother to release each other from the passionate kiss they were sharing – they were both in too deep.

***

A/N - Taa-daa!!! And so there it is. My take on a pairing. As I said before FinnxPiper isn't my alpha/omega, but I do think they'd be good together. I decided to end this where it did, even though I originally was all set to continue on, have them get back to the Condor and face their teammates, etc, etc. But I really didn't want this story to go into the whole angsty thing. I wanted this tale to remain what it was, a sweet love story in which two total opposites come to find that they're not so different after all.

Thanks everyone who read, thanks much for those who reviewed, and grateful wonderness for those that faved this tale. As usual, I apologize with much heartfelt sorrow for any and all spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors. They due like two hyde; don"t. they?

Till the next story (and yes, there are more!),

Yours, Liestra


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